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LETTERS 



BAllON HALLER 



HIS DALGHTER, 



TRUTHS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGIOK. 



I 



vTED FK0:M the GERMAN. 



ALBANY, 
PRINTED BY H. C. SOUTHWICK, 

1816. 




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TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE- 



THEY who have studied nature most, 
and penetrated deepest into her secret re- 
cesses, have discovered themselves, and de- 
monstrated to others, that human science is 
bounded by a narrow horizon, and that our 
knowledge is imperfect within the circle. — 
Beyond the sphere of moral vision lie many 
truths which we can neither discover nor 
comprehend. A conviction of the weak- 
ness of human understanding prepares the 
philosophic mind for the admission of truths, 
which exceed its capacity, upon moral evi- 
dence. A little philosophy leads to athe- 
ism : a great deal brings back the mind to 
religion. Paschal^ Eacon^ Boyle ^ Berkeley^ 
Maclaiirin^ Boerhave^ Newton, Clark, in pro- 
portion as they explored with success the 
mysteries of creation, felt their breasts 
warmed with devotion to its great Governor 
and Author. The name of Haller, which 
is already so illustrious in the world of let 
ters, will one day be venerable and dear to 
the friends of religion and virtue, the num- 
ber of whom his writings will contribute to 
increase. This great and good man, in the 



IV PREFACE. 

earlier part of his life, had his doul^jts con- 
cerning the object^ of the Christian Faith : 
but these doubts were dispelled by a suc- 
cessful application to every branch of sci- 
ence, on the one hand ; and by a candid 
psaniination of the sacred pracles, on the 
f^Jh^r. The firsty \)y purging his soul, ac- 
cording to his own em[>hatic phrase, of ar- 
rogance and pride, filled it with that poverty 
of spirit^ which, of all the Christian graces, 
as we are instructed by Diyine Wisdom, 
IJrst enters the kingdom of heaven. The se- 
fqnd convinced him, that the divine revelq.- 
fion^ conveyed in the Holy Scriptures, was 
a boon worthy of the merciful Author of 
our nature to give, and such as was tit for 
guilty mortals to receive with bumble gra- 
titude and reverence. 

There are hours of despondency and lan- 
guor in every human life, which can neither 
be prevented nor remedied by the most proi- 
perous worldly circumstances, or by the 
greatest skill of man. The healing art, 
v)iich Mr. Haller applied witU unequalled 
success to the disease of the bodjs could 
not, as he experienced in his own person, 
reach that dissatisfaction with the present, 
and that apprehension and dread of a future 
state, which at certain season^ in some, and 
in certain stages of life in all, disturlj the 



PREFACE. V 

breasts of mankin(]. In the mulUhide of 
his thoughts within him, thy cftmforts, O 
Lord! delighted his soul. Thy laws were 
to him a delightful subject of attention, and 
a joyful object of hope. He tasted of the 
fountain of life, whose refreshing streams so 
fortified his soul that he beheld undismayed 
the king of terrors ! 

The consolation which he felt himself, he 
was anxious to impart to others. Like the 
Saviour of the world, he went about doing 
good to the souls and bodies of men. He 
eagerly seized the numberless opportuni- 
ties, which his profession of a physician 
gave him, of convincing those with whom 
he conversed of the truth, and of converting 
them to the practice of the Christian religion. 
And this he did, not only by his instructions,, 
but by his example. Fod he was charita- 
ble to the poor; he sympathized in the 
tenderest manner with the distressed ; and 
was humane and just in all his dealings with 
the sons of men. 

A thousand incidents, which passed un- 
heeded by the vulgar eye, recalled to his 
mind the Deity : and when he recollected 
or heard that great name^ he gave vent, in 
whatever company or circumstances he 
happened to be placed, to some pious ejacq- 
lation, with his eyes and hands lifted to 
Heaven, A2 



VI PKEFACE. 

While his humane and feeling mind em- 
braced in his bonds of love all his fellow- 
men, and interested him in their present 
and future concerns, there was one person 
"whom God and nature had recommended to 
his peculiar tenderness and care. He had 
a daughter, dear to him as his own soul. 
He knew the inquietudes to which the com- 
mon lot of humanity would subject her 
throughout life, and the fears that would 
alarm her tender breast at the approach of 
death, of which, it was some consolation to 
him, that " he would not live to be the mourn- 
fid witness, ^^ To her he addressed, at dif- 
ferent times, but in regular succession, these 
Letters, which were afterwards, by his per- 
mission, published for the benefit of the 
World at large. They have met on the 
continent, and it is to be hoped they will 
mieet in this island,"*^ with a favorable recep- 
tion. For, 

Ist, The author has exhibited, in an in- 
credible small compass, the completest de- 
fence of Christianity, in our judgment, 
that has ever been offered to the world. 
Other writers have urged particular argu- 
ments in favour of this cause — with great 
ability and ingenuity. Mr. Haller col- 
lects the best arguments of the ablest di- 
Tines in every period of Christianity ; ar 
* Oreat-Britaic, 



PREFACE. Va 

ranges them in a judicious order ; and 
brings their united force into one centre of 
percussion. The separate rays which flow 
from the genius and pious industry of Chris- 
tians in different ages and nations, he at- 
tracts to one focusy and thereby illuminates 
the objects he means to.illustrate, by an ef- 
fulgence of light which is sufficient to pene- 
trate and dispel the thickest clouds of igno- 
rance, error, and prejudice. 

2dly, It is not only bis object to shew- 
that Jesus of Nazareth was a person divine- 
ly commissioned from Heaven for the refor- 
mation of the world : but that he was in re- 
ality the So7i of God, and that he poured out 
his soul a propitiation for the sins of men. 
We have defenders of Christiauity, Socini- 
ans and Arians, who IVame systems of reli- 
gion to themselves, and then prove this re- 
ligion by texts of scripture. Finding; that 
they cannot raise their conceptions to the 
sublimity of all Divine truth, they think 
they do good service to the cause of Chris- 
tianity by lowering Divine truths to human 
conception. Thus they admit certain parts, 
and reject others, of a system that must be 
wholly rejected or wholly admitted. Mr. 
Haller receives with pious awe evtn what 
he cannot comprehend, and with humble 
confidence walks forward into those regions 



Vni PREFACE. 

where, according to the figure of the po- 
et — " Lame Faith leads Understanding 
blind." — Yet even there, in those sa- 
cred walks where the grandeur and in- 
comprehensibility of the surrounding ob- 
jects lay prostrate the powers of the human 
mind, he finds room for the exercise of rea- 
son in the service of the Christian cause. 
Jle shews the credibility of mysteries 
which exceed our comprehension, by man- 
ifold analogies taken from the process of 
nature in the inanimate, animal and ration- 
al world. He analyzes, in some degree, 
the economy of Divine grace, vindicates 
even the hardest doctrines of Christianity, 
if we may be allowed this expression, and 
throughout all its parts, justifies the ways of 
God toman. 

3dly, There is something in these letters 
of Mr. Haller which not only convinces 
the judgment, but which operates upon the 
heart, and inclines the will. His feeling 
representations of the misery of human life, 
and the fitness of the Christian religion to 
remedy that piisery, interest the affections 
in the cause of truth, and dispose the read- 
er to give it a fair hearing. Abstracted 
demonstrations of the being and attributes 
of God; formal and syllogistical proofs of 
the resurrection of Christ, have but a feeble 



lufluence on the iinderstandiDg, because 
they have none op the nassjons. It is the 
will that directs the power of attention, 
and without attjBntipn there is no room for 
the exercise of judgment. Where there is 
a prepossession agajnst any doctrine, the 
mind, swift as lightning, fixes its whole 
force on the arguments that tend to inrali- 
date its truth : and, as the resources of a 
fertile imagination and subtile genius are 
infinite, the sceptic easily retreats into the 
labyrinths of metaphysics. It is an easy 
matter to be convinced of what we wish to 
be true ; and, in matters that admit of rea- 
soning, it is, on the contrary, difficult to 
persuade mankind of the truth of what they 
wish were false. It is the peculiar excel- 
lency of this little performance, that while 
it shews the truth of Christianity by argu- 
ments, it disposes the will to give those ar- 
guments a candid, a favorable attention — 
we become acquainted with the Divine 
Person, whose mission from heaven it is the 
author's object to prove : and we are rea- 
dy to cry out, of ourselves, " truly this man 
wasthe'Son ofCwdr 

4thly, The variety and extent of Mr 
Hallpr's learning, must strike both Be- 
lievers and infidel?. The former will re- 
loice in the acquisition of so able an advo- 



X PREFACE. 

cate for so good a cause : the latter will he 
somewhat startled, when they find so univer- 
sal a genius a Believer in Jesus Christ; for 
lie must be self-conceited indeed, who re- 
fuses even to examine a religion of which 
Haller was a disciple ; a man so deeply 
versed in oriental^ classical, and modern lan- 
guages, and in science of every kind meta- 
physical, mathematical, physiological, moral , 
and theological. — -The various knowledge of 
the author appears even in this little vo- 
lume of familiar epistles to his daughter. 
Nor will any person who reads them ima-^ 
gine that he made a display of knowledge 
through vanity or ostentation. No : this 
devout man was too deeply impressed with 
sentiments of God, to think of himself; 
much less would he have given way to any 
efifusions of vanity. But, as rivers take 
their tincture from the soil through which 
they pass, so the genius and turn of think- 
ing of a man of letters, is apt to display it^ 
self in his conversation, or in his writings, 
on any subject. 

5thly, The paternal tenderness that 
breathes tbroughowt these letters interests 
the reader both in their author and in the 
person to whom they are addressed ; and 
gains his favorable attention to the whole 
performance. — Many parents will adopt 



II 



PREFACE. XI 

the sentiments of Mr. Haller, and pre- 
sent this little book to their children as the 
dearest pledge of parental affection. For 
what parent but would wish, in the last 
stage of life, to address from his heart these 
words to his child ? " The king of terrors 
" approaches me with hasty steps, but I 
" behold his advances without dismay. Be- 
" yond that era of my existence I see ob- 
" jects of joy and hope, which invite me to 
" leave this world, and to step forward into 
" eternity ; into mansions of holiness and 
" bliss, where death shall be banished for 
" ever, and where sin shall have no place. 
" After having finished your course, you 
*' will again meet your father in those glo- 
" rious and peaceful abodes, where the idea 
" of our frail mortality shall no longer dis- 
" turb our breasts, or fill them with shame ; 
" and where the miseries of this life shall no 
" longer draw tears from our eyes." 



LETTERS, ^c. 



LETTER I. 

Comfort of Religion in the hour of death, and on the 
entrance into another stale of existence. JNecetsity 
cf establishing faith on a tirna foundation. Character 
of modern Sceptics. Catalosjne of eminent defenders 
of tlie Christian Faith. The Anlhoi^s apology for 
ei^gaging in the saae cause. Arguments in favor of 
Religion come with peculiar weight from a laymm. 
Defects and errors in the writings as well of divines 
as philosophers. 

It aflbrds me, my dear child, great satis- 
faction, to observe the serious turn of your 
miud, though you are now at an age, when 
the workl appears in its ga} est and most al- 
luring colours. But this life, Jiowever di- 
versified with pleasing charms, must have 
an end, though at present it mdy seem at a 
remote distance. I, perhaps, shall not live 
to be the sorrowful witness olsuch an event ; 
but that day, Avhich is to terminate your 
existence, approaches insensibly ; and when 
the awful moment arrives, what then will be 
your su[)port ? The caresses oi' your fond 
B 



14 HALLER's LETTERS 

children, the conversation of your beloved 
friends, will be but a feeble refuge. Do you 
think that it will be in the power of medi- 
cine to stop the fleetieg breath, or retard the 
fatal hour? The earth will seem to bend 
beneath your tottering feet, and you will en- 
ter into an eternity, immense and unfathom- 
able ; where will be found other joys and 
other griefs than you shall have experienc- 
ed in this life. Evils will present them* 
selves, in this new state, ^vith a more terri- 
ble aspect; and joys, infinitely superior to 
all that the world afforded. At this last pe- 
riod of life, when your eyes will no longer 
behold the light — when your ears will no 
more hear the well known voice of those 
who were dearest to you — when you will 
feel the arrows of death pierce your trem- 
bling heart, who will support you in this 
scene of fear and dread, if God withdraws 
his succour ? 

It is a just and trite observation, that to 
arm ourselves, by a voluntary inattention* 
against the day of evil—against that day 
which must decide our lot for ever, is a mark 
of the highest folly and extravagance. Mi- 
serable expedient ! which cannot delay a 
single moment, nor improve, in the least, 
the destiny which aw aits us. The enemies 
of Revelation have sometimes made a eon- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 15 

feoion well worthy our attention. They 
acknowledge, that a Christian, whose faith, 
notwithstanding, in their opinion, is chimer- 
ical, ceases not to be happy, even at the 
time when his body is almost deprived of its 
Tivifying {>owers, and is hastening to a state 
of corruption — at that moment, in which the 
soul seems deprived of every support. They 
confess that his hoi)€s, however ill-founded 
they esteem them, and deserving the coo- 
tempt of philosophy, never forsake him, but 
embolden and encourage him to the last. 
His faith, say they, inspires him with reso- 
lution. — Armed with this, he dares to look 
Death in the face ; because, after this peri- 
od of existence is finished, he extends hh 
view to an eternity of happiness. 

But faith, unless firmly established, can- 
not produce this effect ; neither can it be 
called faith, if it is not supported on some 
real foundation. If we believe more through 
the influence of custom and example, than 
from the arguments of reason, or the inter- 
nal conviction of our own minds, this kiud 
of persuasion is false and groundless, nor is 
capable of giving confidence or peace. — 
Death is an object frightful to human na- 
ture : the sufferino:s which precede it, the 
constant and regular lapse oi' time which 
unavoidably draws us nearer to our dksaii^ 



fyf 



16 Hi^LLER's LETTERS 

tion, must excite in us painful and disa- 
greeable sentiments ; and such as it is not 
in our power to suppress ; and when our 
faith is wavering, we are less able to make 
a stand against them. But if we would en- 
tertain more pleasing thoughts, they must 
arise from the consideration of a future state 
of felicity ; the certain hope of which has 
the same effect upon the mind, as those im- 
pressions which we receive from sensible 
objects. 

To a conviction founded upon an atten- 
tive examination of the grounds of our faith, 
we must join a perfect persuasion, that this 
eternal happiness will not be indiscrimi- 
nately conferred, but must be the reward of 
some preceding merit. Without this senti- 
ment, we cannot experience any of those 
consolations, which we particularly stand 
in need of at that time, when there is no- 
thing upon earth from whence we can de- 
rive any solid satisfaction. We must judge 
lor ourselves — must see, as it were with our 
own eyes, the proofs of religion : we must 
feel the force of them. Both the under- 
standing and the heart must give their as- 
sent, if we are desirous of their having any 
influence upon our passions. Apply your- 
self, therefore, with all confidence, to those 
researches. The rock oA salvation is solid- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 17 

it J itself; it cannot be shaken, either by 
the doubts of the sceptic, or the sarcasm of 
ihe sneerer. 

Yonr father, who now addresses you, dur- 
ing the period of a long Jife, spent in con- 
tinual labour and study, thought bimself 
obliged to consecrate some of his leisure 
hours to inquiries of this nature. The re- 
sult of which was, that those truths which 
have been called in question, always appear- 
ed to him the more evident and respecta- 
ble, the more atlentively he examined the 
reasons and proofs on which they w^ere 
founded. 

But who are those sceptics and those 
eneerers, which, in this our day, so much 
abound ? The one have never studied the 
principles of the Christian faith ; frivolity 
and precipitation mark their character^ with 
Ihem ridicule supplies the place of reason, 
and they are bu5>ily employed in an unpro- 
fitable pursuit. They ought rather to regret 
the loss of that time, which should have been 
devoted to a serious inquiry after truth. The 
others, the free-thinkers of the age, who are 
at the head of a party, and the heroes of it, 
have never been at the pains to acquire a 
knowledge of the ancient languages, and 
of history — a knowledge, nevertheless, very 
essential io assisting them to form a right 
B2 



IS HALLER's LETTERS 



^ 



judgment of the Tundamental doctrines of 
faiih. I iiave read the works of their most 
famous authors. Not one of them was ca- 
pable of understanding the true and precise 
accef>fa(ion of the terms made use of in the 
sacred writings — Not one of them had en- 
tered dei^p enough into the study of Nature, 
to trace Divinity in the various objects 
which surround us, notwithstanding those 
displays are so numerous, so eminent and 
illustrious, in every work of creation, whe- 
ther we consider its design or disposition. 
Therefore, that which furnished Hobbes 
with a subject of infidelity, confirmed New- 
ton in his faith — that which was to Ofray a 
matter of sport, was to Boerhaave an exten- 
sive theme for wonder and adoration. 

I know that a young mother, residing in 
a gay city, cannot so abstract herself from 
com[)auy, as either to study the oriental lan- 
guages, or to make a proficiency in chrono- 
logical researches. Yet without these aids, 
she may find sufficient means to confirm her 
mind in the truth of the Christian faith. In 
languages which are more known, we have 
a number of apologies written in favor of re- 
ligion ; #hich appear to me fully sufficient 
to remove all those donl)ts and difficulties 
which are thrown in our way by .^ceptics. 
The pions Madame de Sevigne, a woman 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. !9 

of high rank, and one who posseaeed a ^ne 
and elegant taste, was not insensible to what 
religion had taught concerning eternity. — 
She well understood the merit ol' the illus- 
trious Abbadie,* and rendered him ample 
justice. Ditton has demonstrated, Avith 
most convincing energy, the truth of the re- 
surrection of Christ. Sherlock hath exam- 
ined this fact with all the accuracy and pre- 
cision which are employed in our courts of 
justice.t Another writer, who is yet living, 
renowned for eloquence and a talent for po- 
etry ; not more illustrious by birth, than ilis- 
tinguished by eminent abilities, Lord Lyt- 
lleton, I mean, an English nobleman, hath 
ably proved, by examining the conversion 
of St. Paul, that nothing else but the actual 
appearance of one from heaven, was able to 
produce conviction in so bitter an enemy to 
Christ and his gospel. It is perhaps rather 
disserviceable to the cause of religion, that 

* A celebrated Protestant divine, born at Noy, in the 
province of Beam, in 1654. After having finished his 
•todies, he was made miuisler of the French church at 
Berlin, from whence he came to London in 1690, where 
be was for ?ome time minister of the French church in 
the Savoy, and was afterwards promoted to the deanery 
of Killaloe in Ireland. He published several works in 
French, that were much esteemed, particularly, ** A 
Treatise on the Truth of the Christian Religion." 

f In a Piece intituled—** The Trial of the WitDes»es 
•f the Resurrection.'' 



20 HALLER's LETTERS 

Tach hath been compelled to abandon a 
work, which he had begun with a design of 
invalidating its tenets. For the least ap- 
pearance of persecution only serves to niabe 
converts, even in a bad cause. You well 
know with what minuteness and philosophic 
precision our friend M. Bonnet hath proved 
the divine mission of our Saviour. A wo- 
man might perfectly understand all these 
books ; and there would be nothing wanting 
to her conviction, if she could be sure that 
none of the facts were suppositious, none of 
the arguments sophistical, which the authors 
have made use of. The patrons of infideli- 
ty, who would be delighted to discover any 
defects in these arguments, would undoubt- 
edly have brought them to light, if there 
had been any to be found ; and instead of 
these objections so often refuted, the repe- 
tition of which has been disgusting to every 
reader of sense, they would not have omitted 
to usher them into the world with an air of 
triumph, and thereby have exposed the de- 
fenders of religion. 

I thought, however, though perhaps too 
hastily, that my observations on these im- 
portant truths might not be altogether un- 
(^rofitable. What the churchmen have writ- 
ten on religious matters, has, in general, 
gained but inferior credit. Their arguments 



TO HIS DAUGHTER 21 

have lost much of their weight, from the 
consideration of their having been urged 
by persons who ^^^ere bound, both by honor 
and iuterest, to defend the profession in 
which they were engaged. In other wri- 
tings, published in favor of religion, some 
discover and condemn a certain character- 
istical peculiarity of genius or turn of think- 
ing. They also find fault with those inge- 
nious conjectures, which authors, fond of 
displaying ingenuity, sometimes very im- 
properly intersperse in their works, even 
on subjects of religion. Other authors on 
the same subjects, have been censured for 
their prolixity, which, however, is not with- 
out its use. It is oftentimes necessary to 
check the juvenile impatience of some men, 
whose attachment to pleasure is such, that 
they caunot spare from their amusements 
ihat time which is necessary even to read a 
few pages with attention. 

Some persons have been of opinion, that 
if a layman, who, in the course of a long 
life, hath had occasion to testify his love for 
the truth, and hath sacrificed to it great 
temporary advantages, was to write in de- 
fence of the faith, and to found his argu- 
ments on such facts only as were incontesti- 
ibie, his suffrage would carry with it much 
greater weight and authority. Some friends 



-22 HALLER's LETTERS 

of mine, from the too good opinion tliey 
have been pleased to entertain of me, have 
suggested, that it was in my power to ac- 
complish the task agreeably to their ideas; 
and that under my hands, the work would 
be useful not only to you, but to other young 
persons who have, at the same time, an 
inclination to studious inquiries. They were 
persuaded, that the less erudition there 
should be in the work, the less there would 
be of novelty, but the more of truth, whose 
sacred rights might be much better defend- 
ed, than by using the common-place argu- 
ments generally adopted by this class of 
writers ; man}^ of which are too vague to be 
allowed. In short, it is for your sake alone 
that I now address you on this subject, not 
to procure the approbation of the learned. 
The last words of a father, far advanced is 
years, and who sees his end approaching, 
will doubtless make a greater impression on 
your heart, than all the lessons of a skilful 
teacher. You cannot but oonfess, that in 
my pres.ent situation, at a time of life when 
the world otfers nothing which can excite 
the pasFions, it must be conviction only, 
and a perfect persuasion of the truth, that 
hath induced me to this undertaking. But 
there is yet another reason which determin- 
;ed me to form the present design. It ap- 



TO HIS DAUaHTER, » 

pears to mc, that the Theolodans, am! 
t'ven many pious Christians, have eonsi- 
♦fered God in do other view than in the rela- 
tion in which he stands with man ; their 
ideas, therefore, of this adorable Being, are 
very narrow and confined. On the other 
haiMl, the Philosophers have not regarded 
Inm in the character of Father, Judge, and 
Benefactor; but only of the Creator of all 
things, and Governor of the world; but 
sometimes their idea hath been more limit- 
ed, and they have described him simply a^ 
the Governor of empires. 

The first represent God tao much like 
man, and neglect, or regard with too great 
indifference, the interesting relations that 
man stands in with God,ft3 being his crea- 
ture, as being a sinner, and as having the 
blessing of grace. They seem to have for- 
gotten, or to have overlooked, that love 
which we all owe to the supreme Being; 
lior to have recommended that humble re- 
verence, and profound respect, which is due 
to the Omnipotent Creator of all things. 
This God, who is the Saviour of men, the 
Lord of all created worlds, is entitled to 
the profoundest respect and adoration from 
?\ll his creatures. 



24 HALLER's LETTERS 

LETTER If. 

A description of that anxiety and terror which liang over 
every mind in life, and death, and above all on its eii- 
i ranee into the world of spirits. Holiness of the Divine 
JVature. Vice the natural object of punishment. JVe- 
iM'^sity of punishing sin, in order to maintain the order 
of the universe. Many intermediate orders of intelli- 
gent beings between the Deity and man. Pride and 
arrogance of human nature. Delay of the punishment 
of sin not an argument against its certainty. Corrup- 
tion, selfishness, and consequentiy injustice, of human 
nature asserted, in contradiction to certain philofio- 
phers ; and described. Irom its earliest appearance in 
infancy, to its full heigiit and maturity. Vanity of 
worldly pursuits, and importance of preparation for 
eternity. Love of the world and the things of the 
world, the grand source of envy, m dice, and contention* 
'J'he mind purified and tranquillzed by the prospect and 
kope of futurity. Remaining power of corruption in tiie 
best and most pious minds. Necessity of an atonement 
for sin acknowledged by Socrates* 

I have seen a book, written for the in- 
struction of children, which begun with this 
important (juestion — What is thy consvlatiim 
in life andin death ? — It is not the world 
^\hich can give it you, or insure, even Ibr a 
moment, any ol* tliose talents or advantages 
which you |>osses3 — such as youth, healthy 
fortune, conjugal affection, chihlren of pro- 
mising hopes, and, in short, whatever con- 
tributes to render life agreeable. An unex- 
pected niahuly — you yourself have experi- 
enced it — may secretly canker the bloom 
of youth, and deprive it of all its charms 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 25 

and eDJoyments. The sword of death issus* 
pended over your head by a tender thread ; 
neither can the worhl defend you from those 
strokes of adversity, which are the inevita- 
ble lot of mortals. Or, supposing that the 
years pass away without the visitations of 
sickness, yet, in their revolving course, your 
natural vigour is diminished ; as in cases of 
rebellion, where the strength of the nation 
13 weakened by a division of its forces. — 
Your soul, which is of an immortal nature, 
will sometimes obtrude on you a reflection, 
that the body, upon which you have built 
great expectations, is daily tumbling into ru- 
ins. You scarcely perceive the secret course 
of a river, which accompanies you in your 
passage, and upon whose current you are 
carried down, till, with consternation, you 
find yourself at the very entrance of it, just 
ready to emerge into the wide ocean, where 
you will find no more banks— no more agree- 
able prospects to charm the eye — no more 
chearful companions — no more objects to 
gratify the senses, or indulge your favorite 
taste and inclination ; all these sources of 
delight will vanish for ever. Having, by 
an irresistible impulse, entered this bound- 
less expanse, alone and unattended, how 
tvill you support the idea, that there is no- 
thing remaining to you, but this immensity 
with which you are surrounded ? 
C 



26 HALLER's LETTERS 

This image, so often applied, and which 
affected in a most lively manner, even in 
the midst of her pleasures, the ingenious 
Sevigne, is but a faiat resemblance of its 
archetype. The current of time, whose ra- 
pidity you cannot oppose, and of which you 
have already passed a considerable part, will 
carry you into the presence of your Judg* 
a Being of perfect purity and holiness — - 
Who is divested of all those passions, which 
the poverty of human language has ascrib 
ed to him, and of whose violence we need 
not therefore be afraid. But although he is 
infinitely good, he does not approve of sin, 
nor regard good and evil with an eye of in- 
difference. These two things are naturally 
and essentially different : and being thus 
diametrically opposite to each other, cannot 
be held in the same estimation by a Bein: 
who not only knows their difference, but sees 
them both without any disguise or artifice. 
Even man, imperfect and guilty as he is, dis- 
approves and despises the liar, the traitor, 
the ungrateful, and the envious ; but the op 
posite qualities he honors and admires wher 
ever they are found. How much more then 
will He, who is absolute perfection, who can 
never judge otherwise than agreeably to 
moral rectitude and truth, abhor and detest 
vice ? If God seesj, as it were, with a glance. 



i 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 27 

the moral good and evil of his creatures, and 
yet makes no discrimination in human ac- 
tions, a universal disorder must take place 
amongst all intelligent beings, which disor- 
der would be the inevitable consequence of 
this supposed indifference in God. 

We cannot form a competent idea of the 
Supreme Being ; he is superior to every im- 
age which derives its origin from the sens- 
es. It is, however, certain that he is om- 
nipotent, all-wise, and infinite in every per- 
fection. We have every possible reason to 
think, that betwixt this Being and man, there 
are other creatures, who approach nearer 
to God in sanctity, virtue, and perfection ; 
and who are far superior to man. I know, 
that, in strict propriety of speech, there can- 
not be an uniform gradation betwixt finite 
and infinite : but the distance between God 
and feeble mortals is so immense, that we 
may suppose, with the highest probability, 
that, in the celestial habitations, are beings 
of a much more excellent nature than man, 
whose understanding is so much limited, 
and whose heart is so exceedingly deprav- 
ed. How great then is the pride of man, 
which will not admit of any thing superior 
to himself! Presuming upon his own digni- 
ty, he appropriates a rank more elevated 
than his faculties intitle him to ; but refus- 



HALLER's 



€S, at the same time, to acknowledge, that 
he received these endowments from God. — 
Will the great Governor of the universe ap- 
prove of this behaviour in his creature ; who 
dares to harbour in his breast a kind of re- 
bellion against the arrangements of infinite 
V/isdom ? Can the man, wlio is thus iuflu- 
fenced by pride, ever condescend to these 
submissions which reason requires ; or bear 
with an eye of complacency the pre-emi- 
nence of beings more noble and exalted than 
himself? Can he, without a mortifying hu- 
miliation, behold himself placed in the low- 
est rank of finite beings ; or resign without 
murmuring, those prerogatives which he 
vainly arrogates ? 

All other transgressions of the law of God 
are equally, in their own nature, deserving 
of punishment, by the Sovereign Judge, who 
disapproves of, and condemns them ; for his 
laws are an eternal and immutable standard 
for the trial of human actions, of which he 
surely is capable of making a just estimate, 
who perfectly kncrs their value and ex- 
tent. Beinas, who live in subordination to 
his laws, must necessarily receive the appro- 
bation of him whose faithful subjects they 
are. But such as negleet those duties which 
are intrinsically good, and, though com^ 
manded to obey them, prefer an opposite 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 29 

rule Off behaviour — as the liar, the envious, 
the cruel, the impure, and the misanthrope 
— must infallibly be regarded by God as re- 
bels to his laws, and punished for their dis- 
obedience. The delay of judgment ought 
not to embolden them. Men may lose the 
remembrance of their own actions ; the im- 
pressions which the senses receive, dimin- 
ish gradually, like one who having sensibly 
offended us to-day justly apprehends our re- 
sentment ; but after a few months are past, 
forgets the offence, and regards it with indif- 
ference. But in God there is no forgetful- 
Bess : the faults of the first men are recorded 
in the book of immutable wisdom, and are 
written in a manner more indelible than if 
they were inscribed upon columns of ada- 
mant. The sins of the early ages are as per- 
fectly known to him now, as they were at 
the time they were committed. His ha- 
tred to evil is unalterable, as well as its con- 
sequences. An action, which had incur- 
red his displeasure, because it was evil in 
its own nature, cannot change its complex- 
ion by time, in the eyes of Infinite Wis- 
dom. After a thousand years, its turpitude 
will be the same as at first : and therefore 
entitled to the same condemnatioH. But 
such is the inconsistency of the human 
mind, that we overlook the criminality of 
C2 




30 HALLER's LETTERS 

our own actions, and pass a general amnes- 
ty on our former vices, when we can no 
longer practise them. It is not so with the 
immortal Judge, who hath before him his 
own laws; so that he cannot pardon, atone 
time, what was obnoxious to puuishment at 
another. 

You, my daughter, will not here object, 
that we are not so depraved. The educa*,^ 
tion which you have received, and your ov 
conscience, will not suffer this arrogant' 
thought to enter into your mind. But our 
new philosophers have carried their vanity 
so far as even to deny the corruption of the 
human heart : or at least they do not per- 
ceive its existence, but in their enemies, or 
the most Hotorious malefactors ; in them 
they discover the enormities of vice. It 
is a weak apology, made by some for the 
commission of evil, that man brings into the 
world with him the source of it, w hich is 
self-love — that every one must pursue the 
bent of its inclination — submit wholly to it, 
and make, if possible, the rest of mankind 
subservient to its will — that it is oftentimes 
displeased even with the elements, and 
would quarrel with the sky if the wind 
blew, or the rain fell, differently from its 
wishes. When heavy bodies, by their own 
weight, descend to the earth, this also is h 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. ni 

rause of pain and inquietude; it would have 
Uiem act in repugnance to the laws of gra- 
vitation. In the infant, we see the effects 
of self-love ; it there reigns absolute. Before 
he has become capable of feeling the influ- 
ence of example, he opposes his feeble 
strength to every constraint : he seizes with 
a kind of fury whatever he desires; he 
snatches from another infant his toys; and 
invades, like an Alexander, what is not his 
own ; like him too, he triumphs over his 
spoils, and is deaf to every remonstrance of 
reason. 

When the infant is advanced in years, 
and reason begins to exert its powers, he 
then perceives that the world is not his own, 
but that other meu have the same preten- 
sions and similar claims to what he would 
appropriate to himself; the consequence of 
which is, at least in theory, a kind of war 
amongst all those who aspire at universal 
monarchy. Hobhes not only perceived the 
truth of this theory, but has plainly asserted 
that it was now in practice ; though he does 
not say that such a state of contention is 
lawful and reasonable. I have observed 
these sentiments to prevail amongst the 
most miserable and vilest of men. I have 
seen the contempt which they had for oth- 
jtr%: but the complacency and approbation 



SB hALLER'8 LETTERS 

with which they have contemplated all that 
they did themselves ; — a way of thinkiDg 
whicli Boileau hath finely described in his 
inimitable satires ; where those haughty ty- 
irants, who would hohl the wovld in subjec- 
tion, are drawn in their genuine colors. A 
female philosopher of this class has been in- 
genuous enough to confess, that if wishes 
were able to commit murder, those who 
are in possession of the things which they 
covet, and which they think would make 
them happy, would be in great danger of 
losing their lives. Ofray, another of these 
philosophers, hath attempted to vindicate 
vice upon certain principles which he has 
formed into a system ; the foundation of 
which is, that virtue is an exotic, planted in 
our hearts with some degree of violence, 
or, in other words, by the efforts of educa- 
tion ; on the contrary, vice may be called 
an indigenous production, which there flour- 
ishes, as in a kindly soil, and favorable to its 
growth. 

A superficial view of human nature, or of 
our own heart, not entirely ignorant of its du- 
ties, must convince us, that man, even in a 
icvilized state, confines his love and his es- 
teem to himself— that he easily discovers 
the faults of other men — that he thinks them 
inferior to himself—that the grand and prin- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. »3 

cipal scope of all his actions, is the satisfac- 
tion of his own desires, Avhatever they may 
be ; and that he leaves no method untried, 
by which he may gratify his vanity, or ac- 
complish those ends which the brutal pas- 
sions of Barbarians pursue in a more open, 
undisguised manner. 

I have often observed, not without a mix- 
ture of pleasantry and concern, the mean 
and despicable jealousy which the great- 
est philosophers and most celebrated poets 
.have had of one another; and how they 
have endeavored to tarnish that merit in a. 
rival, which threatened to equal or eclipse 
their own. With what rancour and invect- 
ive have they attacked those who refused 
them the incense of praise ! What indecent 
railleries have they employed, when they 
would expose to ridicule such as were not 
servile enough to think as they did I After 
having shot all their empoisoned arrows 
jagainst those persons whom they hated 
without a cause, they scrupled not to say, 
with an air of affected indifference — " I was 
only in sport." 

There are some persons who deny the 
corruption of human nature ; yet these very 
men, if their pride receives the least morti- 
fication, are immediately inflamed with re- 
sentment, and treat the supposed aggressor 
as their mortal enerav. 



34 HALLER»s LETTERS 

It is not amongst the champions of vice 
alone that we are to look for instances of 
this depravity ot mankind. Turn your eyes, 
my dear child, unto yourself ; examine your 
own heart — that heart, filled with sweetness 
and beneficence ; which hath never given 
the least disquietude to your parents, your 
husband, or your friends — that heart, ^so 
compassionate, and susceptible of the ten- 
derest and most benevolent sentiments ; 
>vhich rejoices to see virtue recompenced, 
though in a strauger, whose affliction also 
it can soothe and mollify. — Compare your 
thoughts and actions with the perfect and 
invariable laws of God, and see how far you 
are removed from that perfection, which 
alone can render you acceptable to the Su- 
preme Being. It cannot be envy which 
induces me thus to degrade a person whom 
I love ; but the sacred obligation of truth 
impels me to place before your eyes this di- 
vinie law, that you may the better judge of 
the imperfection of human actions. 

You have been instructed in your young- 
er years, in the truths of the Christian faith ; 
they made a lively impression upon your 
Mind. You also apprehend the right which 
there is in God of exacting from us a volun- 
tary obedience : and you have a just sense 
of the icnportauQe of eternity, in comparison 



TO HIS DAUGHTER, 35 

xhf which, thrones and sceptres, honors and 
distinctions, which men so eagerly grasp at, 
are but as toys. What are our amusements 
which we pursue with such avidity ? and 
what are the prerogatives which we are so 
fond of exercising over creatures as weak 
and infirm as ourselves ? Ought not a being, 
who is possessed of an immortal soul, and 
who, to-morrovV, may enter into eternity, 
for which state he was created — ought he 
Bot to employ the present day, with every 
exertion of his mental powers, to rise above 
this world ; though perhaps the greatest su- 
periority which his reason can attain to m\i 
be scarce perceptible in that scale of emi- 
nence and dignity which, at last, reaches to 
the Deity himself ? or ought he to confine 
his whole atteution to secular concerns, to 
procure the favor of a man, whom probably 
te despises in his heart ; or tjo amass wealth, 
^yhich he must soon leave behind him ? And 
yet do not these things, so contemptible in 
themselves, occupy all our days, and em- 
ploy all our thoughts ? 

Betwixt the present moment and eterni- 
ty, we flatter ourselves with a long interval 
iof life ; and though it is so short that it may 
be compared to the twinkling of an eye ; 
yet in our imagination it appears without 
nd ,• or at le^st we remove that end to so 



f 



ii6 HALtER's LETTERS 

remote a distance, that we cenceiire a 
greater relish for present joys, and value 
them at too high a rate. We consider the 
present as the only troe, the only sure and 
important happiness : futurity, dark and ob- 
scure, hath DO charms, no evidence suffi- 
cient to determine our will. 

It is this trifling estimate, which we make 
of eternity, that renders us indolent and. 
careless in the great duties which we owe|| 
to God— that makes us ungrateful for his fa- ' 
vors, deaf to his menaces, negligent of his 
service, cold i^ our devotions, and untouch- 
ed with the sufferings of our Saviour. The 
value which we put upon present enjov- 
ments, attaches our affections to the perish- 
able things of this life, and excites in us an 
odium against those who would interrupt our 
pursuits, or rival us in them. From hence 
proceed the vain opinions we have of our 
own merit ; the custom of secretly compar* 
ing it with tliat of other men, of ovr acting 
unjustly in consequence of these partial com- 
parisons ; an inward envy at the prospect 
of advantages which they enjoy, and of 
which we judge them unworthy ; a ridicu- 
lous approbation of our own actions and 
abilities ; an ungovernable passion for fri- 
volous amusements; the shameful sacrifice 
of a great part of our time, in the search of 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 37 

j^eeting pleasures, which make a man nei- 
ther better uor wiser ; and a petulancy of 
temper, that wiH bear no opposition to out 
desires which we are so eager to gratify, 
and wait with such impatience for the arri- 
val of the happy moment, that time seem^ 
to move with leaden feet. 

But, to close this mortifying detail, we 
,v^ill suppose that, after many victories gain- 
ed by vice, its superior influence should at 
last give place to the repeated impressions 
of divine truth, and its power should be con- 
siderably diminished. — Reflect, then, upon 
what passes within ybu, and you will be 
obliged to confess that, even in this situa- 
tion, things temporal operate upon our minds 
with more force than things eternal ; and 
that the thoughts of futurity have but too lit- 
tle effect upon our inclination. We find 
this imperfection irl men who are yet the 
least addicted to the practice of vice ; its 
influence is particularly felt in that age 
when the passions are in their greatest vi- 
gor. How many criminal desires have tak= 
en full possession of our hearts in the course 
of a short life ! how many resolutions have 
we formed for the indulgence of the pas- 
sions, even those of the most guilty kind, 
though our reason has convinced us of the 
Shame and indignity of such a proceeding t 
D 



n 



38 HALLER's LETTERS 



how often have the passions silenced all the * 
remonstrances of reason ! how often have 
they tempted even the best of men into the> 
commission of the most criminal actions ; 
of which the Psalmist is a memorable in- 
stance ! Such as we are, however, we must 
all appear before the tribunal of the perfect 
Judge ! What heart will not tremble, when 
the faithful register of all our evil thoughts 
and actions will be opened before us ? What 
must they expect, who, having spent their 
best days in the service of the passions, en- 
feebled by age, and terrified with the idea of 
approaching dieiatb, relinquished at last their 
vices, and, like the prodigal in the gospel, 
sought an asylum from the frightful reproach- 
es of their own conscience, in the arms of 
paternal compassion ? Will they be reject- 
ed by the kindest and most benevolent of 
'Beings ? will their sincere repentance be 
of no avail ? or, if they should be received 
into favor, who will efface the long cata- 
logue of sins from the records of everlasting 
Wisdom ? 

This question, my dear, is very ancient ; 
it has been asked by the sagest philosophers. 
Socrates, who considered the study of vir- 
tue as the only employment which deserv- 
ed the attention of wise men, thus proposes 
it — How can sinftd man mahf his peace mth 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 39 

God ? But shall we, weak and short-sighted 
mortals as we are — shall we presume to fa- 
^ 'thorn the counsels of the Almighty ? So- 
crates confessed his doubts and uncertainty; 
and that he was not able to comprehend the 
determination and judgment of God with re- 
spect to sin ; or how it will escape the ef- 
fects of his hatred who is infinitely holy, and 
of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. He 
still continued, however, to consider God 
as a merciful Being : and this mercy was 
to him a source of confidence. — *' 1 doubt 
*' not,^' says he, " but God will send, at a 
" time when his infinite wisdom shall see 
*' fit, a man instructed by himself, who shall 
*' reveal to the world this most interesting 
*' of all mysteries— how he will pardon 
" sins ?" 



40 HALLER'8 LETTERS 

LETTER III. 

Ignorance and scepticism of the most eDlightened Hea- 
then Phiiosophei s, with regard to the great principl**! 
of mprality and natural religion. Faint notions of 
a Mediator among the ancient Oriental Nations ; but 
none among the Greeks and Romans. Chrislianity 
could be established only by Divine Power. A di- 
vine person sent into the world lor the instruction 
of mankind, and the expiation of their sins. The 
grand doctrines of Christianity, which are familiar to 
our minds, strange and wonderful to those to whom 
they are entirely new. 

Give thanks with nie, tny child, to (he 
Supreme Judge, who, though he can neither 
excuse nor approve of any evil actions, 
averts, however, froBi his guilty creatures, 
the punishment which they have incurred. 
1 am confident you understand my meaning; 
let us therefore praise his holy Being, who, 
notwithstanding his dislike to sin, hath 
found out a way to receive the sinner into 
favour, to purify him, and to render him ca- 
pable of enjoying his presence through end- 
less ages. 

He hath himself revealed to us this mys- 
tery, so incomprehensible to human wis- 
dom; and hath, in reality, accomplished 
those hopes, which Socrates had conceiv- 
ed from the goodness of God. But this 
scheme, being so infinitely great, hath much 
surpassed all the expectations of that phi!o« 



ii 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 41 

sopher. The Supreme Being hath mani- 
fested his will by a man endowed with ex- 

*, traordinary gifts and abilities, [I shall have 
occasion, hereafter, to shew how little we 
Blight expect from mere man, towards the 
reformation of the world.] From what has 
happened, we may form a conclusion of 
what would have been the probable effect^ 
if God had sent this embassy by one of the 
sons of men, and entrusted him with the mys- 
tery of reconciliation. The Greeks, a peo- 
ple highly civilized, whose natural talents 
seem to have been much superior to those 
who lived in climates less favourable, had, 
notwithstanding all their boasted wisdom* 

I but an imperfect idea of the principal and 

1 most simple truths. The existence of God 
the Creator — the plainest and most obvious 
truth of all — was a subject of doubt and con- 
troversy amongst their men of learning. — 
With respect to the immortality of the soul, 

I the wisest amongst them, it is true, enter- 
tained some rays of hope ; but all was dark 
and obscure ; there were no proofs, nor cer- 
tainty. The famous Confucius appears even 
to have had no idea of this interesting doc- 
trine ; his philosophy is nothing but a sys- 
tem of political conduct. One sect of these 
philosophers, it must be confessed, have 
considered morals in a very favourable point 
D2 



HALLER's LETTEll 

of view ; but another party, more slncere7 
because they spoke from the feelings of their 
own heart, have plaeed the sovereign good 
in voluptuousness ; and those principles, in 
Greece as well as in Rome, were adapted to 
the general taste. 

A future life was, in the opinion of the 
virtuous Romans, and even of the grave Ju- 
venal, a childish conceit ; and in regard to 
the great point of religion and morals, the 
philosophers themselves were not able to in- 
struct the people in what manner they 
should think or act- Men of the greatest 
integrity among the Heathens, as Cicero, 
for example, whose sincerity appears un- 
impeachable, looked upon religion as a con- 
trivance of the state, to which custom had 
given a kind of prescriptive sanction.—- 
The consequence of which was — that the 
manners of the people, both in Greece and 
Rome, after the introduction of philosophy 
amongst them, became, without comparison, 
more corrupt than they were at a time when 
they had scarce emerged from barbarism. 

If human wisdom had not the power of 
convincing men of the natural difference 
betwixt good and evil, and of the existence 
of a Sovereign Judge — if these two points 
of doctrine have not been generally receiv- 
ed, how much less would it have been pos- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER- 43 

siible lo persuade men by reason alone, of 
ihe truth of that mystery which they could 
have no idea of? We find, indeed, that 
the ancient oriental nations had some faint 
notions of a Mediator ; which were proba- 
bly derived from the remote traditions of 
the sons of Noah. These people believed 
in one God, eternal, immaterial, and infi- 
nite ; their worship was without images and 
without temples. But amongst the Greeks 
and Romans, who were the farthest remov- 
ed from the immediate descendants of Noah, 
whose tradition seems to have been the on- 
ly source of those other truths, the know- 
ledge of which has been preserved, we find 
not the least trace of this only means of re- 
conciling God to man ; and indeed, amongst 
the greatest part of the oriental nations, 
whatever remains there were of truth, idol- 
atry had almost extinguished. 

That it was not in the power of man, 
destitute of every succour from above, to 
promulgate and establish the doctrine of re- 
demption, appears very evident, when we 
reflect on the opposition which Christianity 
encountered at its commencement; for we 
are not to consider those men, who were 
commissioned to announce this doctrine, re- 
Jl^ealed at first to them, as possessed of natu- 
ral powers only ; th^ apostles were enduetl 



44 HALLER^s LETTERS 

with extraordinary gifts, and therefore were 
above the common level of mankind ; they 
had seen the Mediator who was to effect 
this redemption ; they had enjoyed the be- 
nefit of his conversation ; had always at- 
tended, and even lived with him. Other 
persons likewise, whom they had convert- 
ed to the faith, had been eye-witnesses of 
the actions of Jesus, and supported the nar- 
rations of the apostles by their own testi- 
mony. The ambassadors of the heavenly 
messenger were armed, if I may so express 
myself, with supernatural powers, which ev- 
idently confirmed their Divine commission. 
But yet, what resistance did not the pride 
of man make to the preaching of the cross ? 
What infidelity may we not remark in the 
most judicious Roman writers, whenever 
they had occasion to speak of Christ ? The 
truth, we confess, hath at last made its way 
and been victorious. But if it had been 
established by human means only — if the 
divinity of our Saviour had not been mani- 
fested by characters that could not be mis- 
taken, the Christian religion would never 
have been received by nations where a sys- 
tem of regular government prevailed. 

In order to bring this work to a happy 
termination, God hath performed more than 
the wisest men could have required. He^ 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 4 > 

hath united, though in a manner entirely 
jncompreheosible, his Divine perfections to 
human nature, but in a subject absolutely 
free from sin. He hath announced to the 
world the glad tidings of salvation, by this 
extraordinary envoy, Avhose character is 
beyond all comparison. This distinguish- 
ed personage came from heaven ; and whilst 
he was upon earth, declared that he was 
sent by God himself, with whom he had 
dwelt before the commencement of time, 
and with whom he was coeval. He was not 
only the messenger of this great salvation, 
which Avas to be effected by some propiti- 
atory sacrifice ; but he was himself to be 
the victim slain for the atonement of the 
sins of mankind. 

There is something in this mystery so 
])rofound as to astonish the understanding, 
and to baffle the powers of reason. A Be- 
ing eternal, infinite, and incomprehensible, 
appears to the world in the form of one of its 
meanest inhabitants ; and submits to this 
indignity for the benefit and advantage of 
so wretched a creature as man, whom he 
instructs in all useful doctrines during his 
continuance upon earth, until he was put to 
a cruel and ignominious death. 

This is the Christian creed. We imbibe 
*^t from our infancy ,• but the ideas which are 



46 HALLER^s LETTERS 

thereby excited, becoming familiar to u^, 
lose their energy; and yet how strange 
must they have appeared to those to whom 
they were entirely new ! How incompre- 
hensible is this alliance of the eternal with 
the finite, of the uncreated with the created, 
of the government of the whole wocld with 
a subjection to pain I 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 4T 

LETTER IV. 

Divine Mission of Jesus Christ. To Him were united 
all those qualities which bespeak the true Ambassador 
of God. We believe the existence of many things, 
the manner of whose existence we can neitiier ascer- 
tain nor comprehend. This Doctrine illustrated from 
observations and reasonings on the properties of bo- 
dies, or physical existence. Application of it to spi- 
ritual subjects. 



I sHALTi Dot attempt to explain thisj^reat 
mystery ; let the relation of it suffice. At 
a time precisely marked by the ancient 
prophecies, there appeared a person endued 
with extraordinary powers ; he communi- 
cated to men a doctrine, which he declared 
he had received from God, and taught tliem 
what were the means which God, in his in- 
finite wisdom, had adopted to expiate their 
transgressions. This divine person perform- 
ed all the conditions to which this pardon 
was annexed; and, taking upon himself the 
sins of the world, shed forth his blood in 
order to efface them. If it is true that this 
messenger or envoy of God hath actually 
appeared in the world — if it is true that his. 
words have been faithfully preserved — it- 
it is true that he hath confirmed his hea- 
venly mission by an infinite number of mira- 
cles, and that his doctrine excelled, both 
%n wisdom and purity, all that the uaited ef- 



48 HALLER's LETTERS 

forts of men have ever been able to discovet^ 
— if the sanctity of his life corresponded 
with the precepts he had delivered ; and, 
lastly, if this eminent person hath been equal- 
ly incapable of deceiving and being deceiv« 
ed, equally exempt from error and false- 
hood, we may then answer this grand ques- 
tion, How can man make his peace with God ? 
How can guilty mortals wait with confidence 
the sentence of the Sovereign Judge ? — No- 
thing now remains but the proof of his ap- 
pearance. I shall, therefore, endeavor to 
inquire, what are the distinguishing marks 
which ought to characterise a messenger 
sent from God ; and to shew that they all 
met in the person of Jesus of Nazareth ; for 
in him werfe united all those qualities which 
should evidence the true ambassador of 
God ; from whence we must conclude that 
all his words are true. It would be no proof 
of good sense to question the veracity of 
such a person. What man is there, who hath 
at all reflected on the narrow limits of thef 
human understanding, and hath in the least 
studied nature, but hath had occasion to re- 
mark, that we are assured, from experience, 
of the existence of a great number of facts 
which are contrary to our speculations ? — 
When we could examine the doubtful prin- 
ciples upon which we pr^end to decide onf 



10 HIS DAUlillTER. 41* 

ihe credibility of things, we may easily per- 
ceive how little the objections, which are 
suggested to us by the feeble lights bj' which 
we are directed in our researches, should 
hinder us from believing that which is mark- 
ed with the impression of truth. In material 
objects, wc are daily obliged to confess, that 
what appeared to us as contradictory, ia 
however true, and that of necessity ; with 
how much more reason then may we apply 
this observation to things which are spiritu- 
al. It is from experience, or from the con- 
formity of a great number of events, that 
we ordinarily deduce the measure of possi- 
bilify, or the rules by which to form our 
judgment ; these are confined within certaia 
limitations, beyond which we cannot pene- 
i trate. Who can comprehend, for example, 
a Being who hath existed from all eternity, 
and who is without beginning ? Yet the ene- 
mies of revelation confess the necessity of 
I ftuchaBeing; demonstrative evidence forces 
I from them this confession. Is not this ac- 
j knowledging, that a thing really exists, 
1 which, however, is repugnant to all our 
Conceptions? And are not the divisibility 
of bodies, and their motions, amongst those 
things which are incomprehensible ? The 
last is proved by the evidence of the seu^ 
i tea ; but vet the unUerstaudinsr forms no 
K 



I 



.^0 IIALLER's LETTERS 

clear idea ofit : The first is admitted from 
the proofs of reason, though it has all the 
appearance of impossibility.-— This instance 
hath been often proposed ; it is not the less 
true, because of its application to our sub- 
ject. An African hath never had an op- 
portunity of seeing that water was capable 
of solidity, and of cutting like a piece of 
metal ; an European hath never seen that 
mercury could be fixed, and become like 
solid silver. When, therefore, the African 
concludes; from an infinite number of ex^ 
jreriments, the result of which is always the 
same, that water will never lose its fluidity ; 
and when an European makes a similar con- 
clusion relative to mercury, from the same 
principle, it is manifest that they both form 
erroneous deductions, by reasoning from 
the constant experience of all men and all 
time?. 

And whence is the cause of these errors ? 
A variety of facts and occurrences pass in 
review before us ; from particular cases, we 
are too apt to draw a general inference, and 
conclude that they must all resemble one 
another, though perhaps there are many of 
them which we have not seen. 

If, then, we are liable to error, in regard 
to the properties of bmlies, which, notwith- 
iftandjngj are subject fo th^ esamitiation of 



10 HIS DAUGHTEK, 51 

Uie senses, and if experience oftentimes 
obliges us to retract the judgmeut which we 
had termed ; how much more cautious ought 
we to be in pronouncing our opuiions on the 
properties of spirit ; or in presuming to de- 
termine on the impossibility of a thing, be- 
cause we have not proved it, and are not able 
to comprehend its essence or manner ! 

AH that we woukl pretend to infer from 
these reflections is, that the difficulties which 
present themselvee, in every kind of truths, 
though we may not be in a condition to form 
an absolute determination upon them, should 
not prevent us from giving them our assent 
when once they are sufliciently proved. — 
How little reason then have we to be sur- 
prised, if we meet with difficulties in con- 
ceiving the manner of the union betwixt 
God and man ; since we liave certain proofs 
that our Saviotir, who was incapable of 
falsehood, hath represented himself as par- 
taking of the Divine Nature ? 



62 HALLER'i LETTERS 

LETTER V. 

Internal evidence of the Christian reiiglon necessnry. 
though not alone sufficient for its confirmation. Di- 
gitession to Dr. Boerhaave Humble birth and educa- 
tion of Jesus Clirist. The wi^jdora and purity of his 
moral precepts. Superior excellence of the morality 
of the gospel to that of the wisest and most virtuous 
heathens, illustrated from the precept* concerning for- 
^ giveness of injuries, and mental purity or chastity. A 

" description of the miseries flowing from unlawful love. 
To direct the views of mankind to eternity, the great 
object of the doctnnes and precepts of Jesus Christ. — 
The sincerity with which our Saviour warned his dis- 
ciples of the«aRifFerings which awaited him and them- 
selves also, a proof that he acted not on human princi- 
ples. A messenger from God an uncommon pheciome- 
noa. The proofs of his mission must be more convinc- 
ing than those with which we are contented in tbe com- 
mon occurrences of life. 



The excellency afid purity of the doc- 
trine of Christ are not alone sufficient to 
prove his divinity, or the intimate union 
of the divine with the human nature. But 
if the doctrines of Christianity were unwor- 
thy of God, this circumstance alone would 
sufficiently evince that God was not their 
author. However excellent any doctrine 
may be, its excellence alone will not be a 
convincing; proof that the teacher is divinely 
inspired, or that the Divinity dwells within 
him. It is, however, a necessary prelimi- 
nary towards the establishment of this truth, 
}V"e should never regard a mau as a teach- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 53 

er sent from God, if his doctrine is not ho- 
ly, and conformable to the perfections of 
him from whom he says it proceeds. In re- 
turn, it will give a more favorable idea of 
him who teaches it ; it will shine with no 
borrowed splendor; and will furniih more 
ample instructions than ever were commu- 
nicated by a mortal man. 

Fifty years have almost ftlapsed since I 
was the disciple of the immortal Boerhaave ; 
but his image is cootinually present to my 
mind. I have always before my eyes the 
venerable simplicity of that great man, who 
possessed, in an eminent degree, the talent 
of persuading. How many times hath he 
said, when speaking of the precepts of our 
Saviour — that this divine teacher knew man- 
kind hotter than Sacrates. 

But what was Jesus in himself, when we ab- 
stract from his person every thing that was 
supernatural ! He w^as the son of a mechanic, 
who was the pareotof fishermen of no rank in 
the world. He had no master to instruct him ; 
he had read nothing but the writings of Mo- 
ses and the Prophets, and had received no 
lessons from the Socrateses, the Platos, the 
Confuciuses of the age : yet what was the 
doctrine taught by this son of a common 
mechanic — this man, whose relations were 
ail of them men of obscure birth, unimproT- 
K2 



J4 HALLEK's LETTERS 

C(l by education, and without aoytiocture oi 
science ? That the simple desire of com- 
mittiDg acrime, isitselfa sin; atruth, which 
though considered in the present times as 
inconlestibie, and as the necessary result ol* 
a right conception of the nature of the hu- 
man mind, was nevertheless a doctrine en- 
tirely new, when taught by Christ. The 
Jews, it is true, regarded, as unlawful, ma- 
ny things which were considered also as 
faults by the wisest heathens; though their 
ijoiions of their crirninalty did not rest up- 
on just foundations. Those things only, 
in their apprehension, were morally evil, 
which were prohibited by the law, or which 
were repugnant to the happiness of socie- 
ty. But they condemui^d only the action 
itself; that alone they thought worthy of 
punishment — a distinction not only absurd, 
hut in some measure self-contradiction. — 
When a debauched person fills his imagi- 
nation with obscene pictures, the lewd ideas 
which he recalls, fail not to stimulate his 
desires with a degree of violence that he 
cannot resist. This will be necessarily 
ibllowed by gratification, unless some exter- 
nal obstacle should prevent him from the 
(commission of a sin which he had internal- 
ly resolved on. 

No dishonorable ideas will ever be form 



TO PUS DAUGHTER. 5!^ 

I'd in the pure soul of a virtuous woman ; 
but if they should obtrude themselves on 
the mind, and there met?t with a favorable 
reception, she will be disarmed of her mo- 
desty, and fall an easy prey to the firs^ 
temptation. It did not escape the observa- 
tion of our Saviour, that the rejection of any 
evil thought was the best defence against 
vice. — Every moment of time that is spent 
in meditations on sin, increases the power 
of the dangerous object which has possess- 
ed our imagination. Anger adds fuel to the 
flames, which a change of the situation of 
the body might have extingmshed at the 
begioniog. The illustrious Boerbaave has 
often admired this sentence of our Saviour : 
Whosoever lo$keth on a woman to lust after 
lier^ hath committed adultery already with 
her in his heart. This maxim Avas in real- 
ity included in the ancient law against adul- 
tery. But mankind, through the blindness 
of their passions, could not iiiscern it. By 
this short precept, Christ hath prescribed 
in the most etflcacious manner, the means 
of preserving us from sin. The first attacks 
of vice are generally feeble; reason has 
then some power over the mind ; if then, at 
the very moment that such thoughts occur 
to us as have a tendency to withdraw us 
from our duty, we shall with all diligenct^ 



56 HALLER's LETTERS 

suppress them, and employ our attention on 
other things, we may avoid the approachiog 
danger, nor fall under the dominion of vice. 
But on the contrary, if we encourage thftse 
ideas and are fond of contemplating them, 
they will not fail to entice us into evil. 

This law, which subjects even our thoughts 
to the divine tribunal, is the only means of 
security in social life. Human justice hath 
no power over the passions and desires of 
the heart: neither will it accomplish the 
end proposed by the legislator. It will ne- 
ver banish crimes, though it may punish 
criminals. It is not possible, but that a 
mind, daily occupied in reflecting on the 
seductive allurements of voluptuousness,wiIl 
devote itself to enjoyment as soon as it per- 
ceives a fit opportunity of procuring that 
satisfaction, the simple idea of which has 

atTorded so much pleasure. When we speak 
of the enjoyments of sense, we mean all the 
vices without distinction. The tribunals 
of human justice oppose them only with ter- 
ror, in cases where they are made manifest 
by their effects. Is it not easy for a man 
blinded by his passions, to persuade him- 
self, that he can conceal his faults from the 
eyes of his fellow creatures ? It is not diffi- 
cult for him, when his desires have obtain- 
ed Ihe sovereignty, to banish from his mi Rd 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. bJ 

Fvery idea that can oppose them. Will he 
not suppress all tlioughts of future punisii- 
ment, during the time that he fixes his alfec- 
tions upon present pleasures? JBi|t the doc- 
trine of Christ is not coofined to the cutting 
off the young shooti? of these veuomous 
plants; it destroys them iu the bud, as the 
only means ofpreventing their grosvth. He 
who hath God always before him, in whom 
the fear of this tremendous Judge is one 
prevailing sentiment, and Avhose judgments 
are constantly before his eyes, will neve.r 
attend to the viciond suggestions of his own 
heart; he will shut his ears against the 
voice of those enchanting Syrens; he will 
not suffer any impure ideas to defile his 
imagination; he will not even be exposed to 
the danger of falling into the last stage of a 
Tice, of which he abhorred the very begin- 
nings. That the man who considers sin as 
the greatest of all evils, and indeed, as the 
only evil, shouM at once abandon himself to 
its utmost excesses, is indeed impossible : 
nor is it unlikely that a man who guards 
against the first attacks of vice, will be able 
to elude its power — But he who begins to 
fall, has no power to stop bis progress ; ev- 
ery moment increases hii rapidity, till at 
length he plunges to the very bottom of the 
precipice. 



5^ HALLER's LETTERS 

It was a fatal error which prevailed 
amongst the Jews as well as Pagans, that 
we could make satisfaction to God for sins, 
and procure his kindness, by oblation and 
presents offered in the temples consecrat- 
ed to bis worship, and by a scrupulous ob- 
servance of the ceremonial rights prescrib- 
ed in the law : but these surely could not 
improve the man of sanctify his heart. — 
Nothing contributed more than this persua- 
sion to quiet the guilty mind, and t6 banish 
from it all fear of the Almighty — that fear 
which is the beginniiig of wisdom. If a 
king, by the sacrifice of his son, could de- 
liver himself from extreme danger, we 
should see him armed with a poniard 
against the person of one, that is notwith- 
standing dear to him, and eagerly spilling 
that blood, the effusion of which is demand- 
ed by the supreme law of self-preservation. 
If the building of a sacred edifice could ex- 
piate treasons and murders, how little would 
they affect the impious hearts of those who 
could defray this expense? If a rich sinner, 
by paying double tythes out of his large re- 
venues, could render himself acceptable to 
God, would he not have the means in his 
own hands of transgressing at pleasure, and 
with impunity ? The expenditure of wealth 
would not be to them so great a sacrifice, at 



10 HIS DAUGHTER. » 

to part with a favorite vice, which hasbeea 
the source of pleasure. How much more 
agreeable, then, will that religion be, w hich 
affords the means of grace, by the observ- 
ance of certaiii formaHties or exterior rights ; 
aad obliges not ks votaries at the same 
time, to subdue their criminal appetites, in 
which they may indulge without depriving 
themselves of the favor of their Judge, 
whose pardon for past faults they can pur- 
chase at so easy a rate ! B}^ a purchase, I 
mean all those outward forms to which a 
sinner has recourse, in order to make his 
God propitious, without correcting his vi- 
ces, or reforming his life. The pain to 
which the fanatic Indian submits, when en- 
closed in a vessel stuck with sharp points^ 
pious legacies, abstinence from certain 
meals, a particular kind of dress, and other 
ibrmalities of a like lvind» are means very in- 
efficacious for satisfying the justice of an 
holy and righteous Judge. If we read the 
gospel with the smallest attention, we may 
observe, that there is no error which is there 
attacked in more severe terms, than the fa- 
tal security info which a vicious people are 
lulled by wicked and artful priests. — 
Christ, the finisher of our faith, clearly fore- 
saw the baneful effects of this soporiferous 
]joison, and how ineffectual it would render 



€0 HALLER's L£TTEKS 

tkat religion which he had brought from 
heaven. Nothing is more flattering to men 
than the hopes of salvation, without being 
obliged to offer any violence to their favor- 
ite inclinations. The wise and animating 
precepts of our divine legislator have been 
scarce sufficient to prevent Christians from 
falling into this dangerous delusion. 

It is not my design to give you, my 
daughter, a detail of the morality of the 
gospel. This task has been performed by 
others, who are more versed in it than my- 
self. I would only in this place take no- 
tice of the forgivenessofinjuries, a virtue al- 
most unknown to the Jews; and though it 
was highly extolled by some of the wisest 
heathens, j^et their practice by no means 
corresponded with the precept. And here 
it may not be impro[)er to observe, that we 
often judge of the actions of Elias, of Da« 
vid, and of other holy men, by the laws oi 
Christ. The forgiveness of injuries is the 
characteristic of a great mind ; we are not 
unacquainted with it in theory ; and we 
have seen examples of it upon the stage, 
wliich we have considered as the natural 
etfect of virtuous principles, imbitieil in the 
heart, though iinre^enerated. Bat in an-, 
eient times, this maxim, so essential to h 
pure moraiily, wa^ allogether unknown 



to MIS DAUGHTER. 61 

This is evident from all the most ancient 
poets and historians. — Are not all the gods 
and heroes of Homer implacable? — The 
kindness of David to Saul, his mortal ene- 
my, is the only instance to be met with of 
this virtuous temper. We find no other 
example of this divine principle in those 
rude times of violence and anarchy. 

I cannot quit this subject without remark- 
ing some other excellencies of the morality 
of Christ — a morality so superior to the pre- 
judices of the vulgar. Ancient nations, in 
general, adored as gods such as had formerly 
been men, and lived amongst them ; they 
supposed also that their enemies had the 
same kind of local deities. Even the Jews, 
to whom God had revealed himseff in all 
his majesty and terror, suffered, notwith- 
standing, an idea so contrary to his infinite 
perfection, to enter into their gross minds. 
The Temple — The Temple^ was a sacred ex- 
pression amongst them; and demonstrated 
the vain prejudice which prevailed through- 
out their whole nation — that Grod was only 
their God. It was this mistaken opinion 
which induced them to reject a salvation 
that was intended for all mankind ; their 
pride would not permit them to partake of it 
with others. But Jesus, though born amongst 
them, though a Jew by birth, clearlyproved 
P 



62 HALLER's LETTERS 

hy his own conduct, that all these natural 
animosities — all those extraordinary privi- 
leges claimed by one sect over another, 
were destitute of every reasonable fouuda- 
tion. He refused not to converse with a 
woman of Samaria; a nation despised at Je- 
rusalem. He made a discovery of himself 
to her in more express te^ms than he had 
dooe to any one before ; he ate, and contin- 
ued for some time, with this woman, whom 
his countrymen treated with contempt. He 
inculcated also, in a parable, the principle 
of universal charity, by preferring the Sa- 
maritan, who had exercised it, to the Jew- 
ish priest who had neglected this very im- 
portant duty. He hath excluded from sal- 
vation all those who profess his doctrine, 
but content themselves with a bare profes- 
sion. He has openly declared, that those 
who regarded themselves as true believers, 
and as being the descendants of Abraham, 
should nevertheless suffer a greater condem- 
nation than was reserved for Tyre and Si- 
don. Notwithstanding the advantages and 
prerogatives which were peculiar to the 
Jews from their birth, and from the writings 
of the prophets, yet the Saviour of the 
world expressly forbade them from placing 
a vain confidence in those consideration! 
more than in the purity «Ff their roligioiu 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. G5 

fie warned them against expecting the ap- 
probation of God, because they had rigor- 
ously observed all the rights of the ceremo- 
nial law. It was not from men that our 
Baviour had learued a morality so pure and 
holy; for such is its repugnance to all the 
' emotions of their corrupt hearts, that even 
to this day there are many among the disci» 
pies of Christ who presume to call them- 
selves the elect of God, and to condemn all 
others who arc not of their sect or persua- 
I sion. 

There is yet another feature which marks 
the excellency of the Christian doctrine ; 
; and that is, the purity which it requires in 
J what is called our natural desires, but which 
I are oftentimes too impetuous to be restrain- 
] ed by the laws of religion ; I here mean the 
passion which unites the sexes — a passion 
which exercises dominion over the most 
generous and tender hearts. The philoso- 
■ phers both of Greece and China have con- 
I sidered this propensity as necessarily re- 
I suiting from the frame and constitution of 
J man; they have therefore treated it with 
I mnch lenity and indulgence ; though the 
^ abuse of it is not less common, nor less per- 
nicious, than either pride or avarice, which 
two passions they have attacked with the 
most powerful arguments, and painted ii> 



64 HALLER'i LETTERS 

the blackest colours. Even the wise So- 
crates could pardon, in some measure, these 
deviations from virtue, under the notion that 
they were the effects of a brutal instinct, 
to which even the best men were subject. 
It does not appear that the philosophers 
thought there was any thing disgracei'ul in 
this vice ; they rather considered it as a ve- 
ry venial fault in youth. Men of virtue in 
Greece, in Rome, and in China, even the 
two Antonini, have not blamed this promis- 
cuous commerce of the sexes in others, and 
have even indulged it in themselves. 

As 1 am writing to one of the female sex, 
I am sensible that I ought to treat this sub- 
ject with the greatest delicacy ; it is that 
consideration which prevents me from re- 
presenting this vice in its genuine colours ; 
I must therefore confine myself to such a de* 
scription ofitasmay not give any offence 
to modesty. Unlawful love enfeebles all 
the powers of the spul, diverts it from eve- 
ry thing that is serious, and gives it a dis- 
taste both of moral duty, and of whatever 
requires a certain degree of labor. It is at- 
tended with a long train of embarrassments, 
troubles, and misfortunes : it destroys the 
harmony and mutual confidence on which 
the happiness of the marriage state depends: 
it involves its unhappy votaries in unneces^ 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 63^ 

sary expenses, and engages them in habits 
hurtful to society : it shuts our eyes against 
the prospect of eternity — awful in its owu 
nature, but rendered more dreadful by the 
consciousness of a wicked course of life — 
and more closely rivets our affections to the 
things of this world, which, after death, can- 
not follow us. Jesus was born amongst a 
people where polygamy was allowed ; where 
the unlawful commerce of the sexes was 
countenanced, and where divorces were 
common : and so complacent were the in- 
terpreters of the law, at that time, that the 
most trifling causes were sufficient to pro- 
cure a separation. The son of a carpenter 
made his appearance amongst the Jews, 
at a period when they were thus misled by 
their teachers. He preached to them the 
necessity of a more regular life, and of a 
purity of manners at that time unknown. — 
But this precept of the gospel is familiar to 
modern times : honorable mention is made 
ofitinall our treatises of morality: it is 
even introduced into our dramatic wri- 
tings ; and, in our com.merce with the world, 
it is considered, as it were, a common or 
ordinary duty. But when Jesus entered up- 
on his divine commission, he was the Only 
teacher who recommended chastily to men, 
who required of them conjugal fidelity, wlio 
F2 



m HALLER'fl LETTERS 

reprobated the opposite vices, and condemn 
tied all impurity both in their desires and ia 
their thoughts. From whence then came 
this law of chastity and temperance, which 
no man before had thought of imposing on 
the world as a duty ? It came not from 
man ; it derived not its source from the 
hearts in which those very passions that it 
condemned had taken root : but we must 
look up to him as the author of it, who was 
instructed by God I vfho commanded his 
disciples to be perfect, as our Father which 
is in heaven is perfect. 

All the benefits of the doctrine of Christ 
seem to concenter in this one point — that 
eternity is the grand object we should have 
in view — consequently, that the main busi^ 
ness of our lives should be to prepare for it» 
and that we should esteem the favor of God 
as the only true good. These ideas did not 
originate in the heart of man ; no Socrates 
had perceived them ; they were unknown 
to the Jews, notwithstanding the bright Lu- 
minary destined to enlighten the world was 
first to shine upon them; 

Agreeably to thiB fundamental rule, our 
Saviour condemns in bis followers that care 
and solicitude which are so incessantly oc- 
cupied in the affairs of this world. He re- 
quires that we should sacrifice all that it 



TO H(S DAUGHTER. 67 

dear to us, rather than submit to the pollu- 
tions of sin. He warns us, that the way of 
life is narrow and difQcuIt : and that we 
cannot, without tribulation, enter into the 
kingdom of heaven. He has cautioned mg 
to dread the indignation of the Deity, aa 
the only evil which ought to alarm us. The 
wisest philosophers amongst the heathens 
knew but little of a life to come ; they ne- 
ver spake of it but in very doubtful and am> 
biguous terms. Their lessons, therefore, had 
not, upon the heart, that authority which 
alone can subdue the will, aod which, in 
our Saviour, was a manifestation of his di- 
vine origin. The firm persuasion of a fu- 
ture life, of the being of a just God who will 
reward or punish men according to their 
works, is the very soul and essence of the 
Christian religion. 

I place likewise amongst those things 
which Jesus Christ could not have derived 
from human wisdom, the sincerity with 
which he informed his disciples of the suffer- 
ings that awaited him, and of those which 
they also would partake of on earth. He 
omitted no opportunity to remove from their 
minds all those temporal hopes which their 
national prejudices had led them to encoa- 
rage ; that the kingdom of the Messiah 
would be of this world, and that he would 



68 HALLER's LETTERS 

appear in all the splendour of a mighf/ 
nijpnarch. That our Saviour's design was to 
establish a spiritual monarchy, and that all 
his actions corresponded with that design, 
is another testimony in favour of the Mes- 
siah. The artful Mahomet took great care 
to inform those whom he was desirous to 
associate with himself for conducting the 
grand scheme which he had formed, that 
certain evils would await them, and that 
certain dangers must be courted. He en- 
deavoured to infuse into them a spirit of he- 
roism ; otherwise they might have been dis- 
gusted with their situation, and he might 
have been deprived of their support. Th^ 
ilisciples of our Saviour were men like our- 
selves ; not the heroes of a stage, in whom 
the contempt of death is no extraordinary 
virtue. They feared for their great Leader; 
they would have persuaded him to preserve 
his life ; they were not without apprehen- 
sions for themselves, and sought their safety 
by flight, when they perceived danger ap- 
proaching ; they forsook their master, for 
whom they had the greatest affection, and 
of whom they had entertained the most ex- 
alted notions. These were the men to 
whom Jesus announced that they were to 
suffer and to die for him. He made this 
declaration to persow^ full of the idea of » 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 69 

Tictorious Messiah; who had promked 
themselves a participation of his future gran- 
deur ; andwho aspired after the lirst honors 
in the new kingdom which they expected 
to see established in Sion — erroneous opiur 
ions, but sufficiently characteristic of the 
propensities of human nature. This proceed- 
ing, 60 singular in its kind, the sincerity 
with which he informed his followers of the 
destiqy which awaited them, evidently 
prove that Jesus acted not after the manner 
of men, nor lite the chief of a party, who 
procure to themselves partizans by the pro- 
mise of rewards ; it was qot his design to 
gain disciples by the alluring offers of tem- 
poral advantages. 

This unexampled candor and integrity 
must naturally fix our attention upon the 
*^ person by whom they were displayed.— 
They discover a more than human virtue, 
not to be paralleled in the history of all 
ages. A messenger from God is not a 
common phenomenon. Such an event de- 
mands our most serious examination ; a fact 
of this nature cannot but be attended with 
important consequences; the proofs ofit» 
divinity must be more convincing than those 
with which we are contented in the more 
pniinary occurrences of life. 

We have already remarked, that the doc- 



?0 MAU^Efl's LETTEHS 

trine of Christ was a great testimony in his 
lavor ; and that his wisdom was much su- 
perior to that wiiich simple nature was ca- 
pable of attaining. But I would speak more 
particularly to the person ^f this teacherj^ 
whose doctrine merits so great admiralion* 
He uftited in himself all those excellencies 
which should characterise an heavenly mes- 
senger, and such as we m^y expect in one 
sent from God, and instructed by him in 
the truths which he was to promulgate. — 
But, in a matter of this consequence, we 
should not be too hasty in our opinion. We 
should first consider whether the design ap- 
pears to be worthy of God, and whether 
the instrument employed was answerable ta 
the execution of it. We should therefore 
examine his principal actions, the events^ 
of his life, the credentials of his divine com- 
mission, and whether he was actually sent 
from heaven into tfcis lower world. 



» ? TO HIS DAUGHTER. Ti 

LETTER VI. 

The commencement of Christianity. By what means so 
pure a religion was established in so coirnpt a world. 
The causes that contributed to the rapidity of its pro- 
gress. The proofs which Christ liath given of his di- 
vine mission. Life and character of Jesus Christ. 

That we may throw the greater light 
upon this subject, it will be useful to look 
back to the commencement of Christianity, 
and examine by what means its author was 
able to establish areligion so little calculat- 
ed to please the work! in its then state of 
depravity. We may at the same time ex- 
tend our inquiries, by considering what were 
the causes which contributed to the rapidity 
of its progress, and what were the proofs 
which Christ hath given of his divine mis- 
sion. It is well known, that, in the time of 
Constantin€ the Great, Christianity was so 
widely spread, that a council was assembled 
at Nice, composed of several bishops, that 
is, of those who had the care of the churches 
then erected in the principal cities of the 
empire. After that period, we find all those 
extensive provinces, from the country of 
the Parthians as far as Bretagne, filled with 
Christians. The churches, who confessed 
the name of Jesus, increased to this asto- 
nishing degree, at a time when very severe 
edicts had b&en puWished ;^g<:\inst tb^m, and 



72 HALLER^s LETTERS 

when they groaned under the «reight of di=» 
Ters persecutions. A short lime before, the 
artful Diocletian, who had for an associate 
in the empire the father of the same Con- 
stantine, whom wfe have just mentioned, 
had determined to cut off, by fire or the 
8word, all those who professed the Christian 
faith ; and so highly did he applaud himself 
on account of his great success^ that in or- 
der to preserve the memory of this bloody 
transaction, he caused an inscription to be 
engraven in marble, which implied — That 
he had destroyed the very nanie rfChristiaUo 
If we examine into a more remote peri- 
od, towards the beginning of the second cen- 
tury, about 70 years after the death of our 
Saviour, we shall find, that the Christians 
were so numerous, that the eloquent Pliny, 
a Pagan and proconsul of Bithynia, com- 
plained, that in his province the altars were 
abandoned, and the worship of the gods ne- 
glected. Further back, even about 30 years 
after the death of Christ, the Christian re- 
ligion was so welt known, that it excited 
the jealousy as well of the Pagans as of the 
Jews ; they called it a sect odious to the 
whole world. The Pagans held it in ab- 
horrence, because of its tendency to abo- 
lish the worship of the gods which they 
adored. The Jews were not the less ene- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 7li 

»ii«S to the Christians, that they sprung 
from amongst themselves. The cruel iSero 
laid to their charge the burning of Rome ; a 
crime which he had hims^^lf committed, 
from an extravagant vanitj^ of which it is 
impossible to assign the causes. Not long 
after his death they formed a numeious so- 
ciety ; and, exeen in those early times, there 
were churches founded at Bahylon, in Asia 
Minor, in Palestine, in Greece, in Italy, in 
Rome, and in alnlost all the provinces of 
the empire. It would be destroying all his- 
torical faith, and introducing an absolute 
Pyrrhonism, not to infer from the writings 
of St Paul, that under the emperors Nero 
and Claudius, there were a considerable 
number of churches in the principal cities, 
which were under the Roman government; 
that bishops (now called priests) and dea- 
cons, distinguished for their fidelity, presi- 
ded over these churches ; that they assem- 
bled for the public Avorship of Almighty 
God, and for celebrating the communion, 
by breaking of bread, according to the pre- 
cept of our Lord, as a memorial of his 
death ; that they read the scriptures, and 
[explained all the articles of the Christian 
' faith. And to come nearer to that interest- 
ing epocha, the death of our Saviour, we 
find that, not long after this event, there 



U HALLEH^s LETTERS 

was a church established at Jerusalem, at 
Anlioch, and in the neighbouring towns.— 
These first churches were lounded by the 
Apostles themselves, whose painful task it 
was to preach the gospel in all places whi- 
thersoever they went. The ordinary ser- 
vices of the church they entrusted to faith- 
ful ministers chosen for that purpose. We 
iind also, that in an assembly of the prin- 
cipal disciples of our Saviour, held at Jeru- 
salem, the grand question was disputed, 
whether the Gentiles were to be subject to 
the ceremonial law of Moses. — Were we 
to trace the Christian doctrine to its origin, 
we should see that its promulgation and es- 
tablishment were entrusted to the twelve 
disciples of Christ — men destitute of every 
thing which could attract public regard or 
consideration ; such as birth, knowledge, or 
reputation : yet these were the persons who 
published abroad the death— the ignomi- 
nious death of their master. They accom- 
panied him in all his labours and peregrina^ 
tions ; they were the auditors of his instruc- 
tive lessons ; and, being: furnished with wis- 
4lom which he had communicated to them, 
they became themselves the teachers of 
mankind. 

Having thus ascended by an historical 
gradation, I come now to Jesus himself, the 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 75 

J^uthorof the Christian religion; who sprung 
from the royal house of David, and who de- 
voted his whole life to the great work foi* 
which he was sent into the world. He 
taught like one instructed by God. As ano- 
ther proof of his divine origin, he lived 
without any of those faults and infirmities 
to which men are subject. No one could 
impeach the rectitude of his conduct. His 
life was an uninterrupted series of iastruc- 
J lion and example, both equally wise and 
holy. His enemies, exasperated at the suc- 
^ cess of his doctrine, exerted their utmost 
efforts to stop its progress, and depreciate 
the estimation in which he was held But 
neither the CelsusseSy the Porphyries^ the 
JnlianSy nor the Jews of past or modera 
i times, have dared to attack the purity of his 
^1 morals. The doubts, therefore, of the free 
I thinkers, whether the virtues ascribed fo 
3 Jesus were absolutely without blemish, are 
1 frivolous and of no avail. 
s In the whole course of his life we see no 
i traces of ambition or worldly views ; he 
^ even refused the thanks of those on whom 
I he had performed miraculous cures, and 
' whose deliverance from their various ma- 
ladies impressed them with the highest 
^ sense of gratitude. — And when the people, 
-'^tonished at the number as well as great-* 



7fii HALLER's LETTERS 

ness of his miracles, were desirous of pla- 
cing him on the throne of David, he, by 
withdrawing himself, refused this proof of 
their kindness and esteem. He endeavor- 
ed to eradicate from his disciples all hopes 
of temporal advantages ; and passed his days 
in voluntary poverty. 

To avoid the conversation of men, to 
whom he appeared a burning and a shining 
lights he passed his nights in solitude and 
prayer. The gravity of his discourses, the 
majestic composure with which they were 
delivered, evidently marked their divine 
teacher. He spoke as never man spoke; this 
was the declaration of those who heard him, 
notwithstanding their prejudice against his 
person and doctrine : and to this testimony 
I cannot withhold my assent, when I com- 
pare his discourses with any of those that 
have been delivered by the most eminent 
philosophers of Greece and China. He was 
continually employed in doing good ; not 
out of ostentation, in performing prodigies 
wonderful and supernatural, or in severe 
acts of justice for the punishment of offen- 
ders. His actions were more useful than 
brilliant, calculated to administer to the 
wants of men, and remedy the incurable e- 
vils of their nature. I shall not attempt, in 
this place^ to demonstrate the reality of 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 77 

these supcrDatural vrorks ; a more favoura- 
ble opportunity will offer in the sequel. I 
shall content myself for the present with 
considering: the nature of these miracles, 
such as the apostles hare represented them. 

We behold an innocent man delivering 
himself up to the cruelty of his enemies* 
and, when his hour was come, cheerfully 
submitting to the pains of death. If he 
was an impostor, what could have been hu 
motive in this proceeding ? The accusation 
that he was one, is so daring an instance of 
impiety, that very few of the enemies oi 
revelation have dared to hazard it. Were 
voluptuousness, riches or honours, the ob- 
jects of his pursuit — of him, who constantly 
preached the great duties of religion ; and 
who suffered some of hi* disciples to forsake 
him, because they were terrified with the 
severity of his precepts, and would conti- 
nue no longer to be witness of his mira- 
cles, or to hear those lessons, which, in 
their opinion, were too pure and holy ? 

All the actions of our Saviour — his whole 
conduct— are perfectly consistent, and form, 
as it were, one entire piece, as might be ex- 
pected in an ambassador of God. They all 
centre io one poinL- eternity is the sublime 
subject of his discourses. He surely did not 
l<^ave ihe celf^stial habitations of hi^. Fp.- 



:b hallek's letters 

ther, for the trifling concerns of Tnis life, 
which, however, are so eagerly courted by 
men. In every moment of his life — in e- 
very action which he performed, he never 
lost sight of the great object ot his mission. 
The inslructing men in the truth, and the 
devoting himself as a sacrifice for their sins, 
was the important business with which he 
was charged. 

But if he acted from other motives, his 
conduct was aKogether inconsistent and 
unaccountable; for then there will appear 
the greatest opposition betwixt the cause 
and the effects — betwixt the design and the 
means which he employed. — Was he an im- 
postor? Why did he seek for poverty, so- 
litude, and death ? Why did he cause some 
of his followers to leave him, by the terrify* 
ing menaces of future evil — by the severi- 
ty oi" his precepts, and by that dorrree of ho- 
liness which he required oC them ? Was he 
an enthusiast or a fanatic ? This is an idea 
which the free-thinkers of the r>re5ent time 
hare been fond of starting. Wl)y then did 
he not affect a behaviour more eccentric? 
Why did he submit I)imself, and subject 
1h se over whom he had acquired authori- 
ty l)y the right of redemption, to the cere- 
monies of the law ? Why did he teach 
doctrines which no human wisdom could 
IvdYQ suggcctedj and which no person before 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 711 

liiin had put in practice ? Why had all his 
actions a tendency to one constant, inva- 
riable design ? His whole life was a pre- 
lude to his future suffering? ; but to them 
he did not expose himself till the very hour 
was arrived, in w hich it was determined 
that he was to submit lo death. • 

In short, all these ohjeclions which the 
en^^n ies of our faith have made against 
Christianity — objections that can serve no 
other ])uipo&e than to raise some doubts in 
their minds, aod which they have employ- 
ed to defend a bad cause, and discredit re- 
velation, cannot, however, diminish that 
profound respect which the life and doctrine 
of our Saviour must naturally inspire in 
those who contemplate them with atten- 
tion. This extraordinary person, so supe- 
rior to all human calumny, when speaking 
of himself, boldly said, that he was the man 
described in the writings of the prophets, 
and who had been promised to the world. 
He assured them, that God had entrusted to 
him these divine truths, which he w^as to 
declare to mankind, whose redemption he 
was to effect. There were extant a num- 
ber of books, incontestibly more ancient 
than Jesus, and the reign of Tiberius, all 
which announce a Prophet, a Saviour en- 
riched with heavenly gifts, and promised 
by God to his people. 



80 HALLER'3 LETTERS 



LETTER VII. 

Antiquity and autbenlicity of the Scriptures. Trutli of 
Chrigtianity proved by Prophecy. The Christian 
ReligroD opposite to the iDcIlDations and passions cf 
human nature. 



It is not, my dear child, my design to 
run over all the prophecies that have fore- 
told a Messiah, a prophet, a Redeemer, 
who was to make satisfaction for the sins 
of the world, and restore the kingdom of 
God. I shall content myself with refer- 
ring to a few places in the ancient oraclesj^ 
where the coming of our Saviour is predic- 
ted in very express terms. 

But I must first surmise, that the antiqui- 
ty of these books, to which I allude, has ne- 
ver been disputed ; neither are the objec- 
tions of any weigcht which have been urged 
against them. Three hundred years beiore 
the birth of Christ, all these books were 
translated into the Greek language at Alex- 
andria ; they were then very ancient ; but 
it is sufficient for our purpose to alledge, 
that Jesus frequently appeals to Ihem as to 
pro[»hecies much older than himself, and 
with which the world abounded. Perhaps 
every one does not know in what manner 
the religion of the Jews was spreads It 
appears, from the writings of a satyrical po- 
et, the cotemporary and favorite of the Km- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER, 81 

peror Augustus, that at Rome, m hich was 
the common rendezvous of all nations, and 
io particular of men of rank and fortune, 
many persons scrupled to violate the Sab- 
bath-day by any kind of work or labor. All 
the Jews had their public semiuaries, and 
books of their law, both in Hebrew and 
Greek. 

To this remark we must atld, that we are 
removed some thousands of years from the 
time in which the books to which 1 appeal 
were written. The manners of men, in the 
ages I speak of, their language, their ex- 
pressions, are very different from tho^e 
which prevail in the western hemisphere 
%vhich we inhabit. Many things were ea- 
sy and intelligible to those people who 
were of warm and lively imaginations, 
which we cannot, without great difficult) , 
comprehend. Custom had given a deter- 
minate sense to many of their figures, which 
appear to us strange and unusual. Their 
oral tradition served likew ise as an explica- 
tion to divers things, which in the infancy 
of the arts and sciences were but seldom 
written, or set down in very few words. 

It is, however, incontestible, that in the 
early ages fallen man had the promise of a 
Redeemer. The sage Persians, and the 
Brachmansj whose writings have of late 



8? rtALL^R'a LETTERS 

years been studied^ spoke a long time 
since, and with confidence, of the future 
appearance of a Mediator. But what ren- 
ders this general opinion the more credible, 
is, that the most ancient of all the prophet 
cies related to this Redeemer so universalljr 
expected ^ which prophecy is this^ — that this 
seed of the woman should bruise the serpent* s 
head — that serpent which had seduced the 
mother of mankind. 

When it w as said to Abraham, to Isaac 
and to Jacob, that in them should all the 
nations oj the earth he blessed^ it is not pos- 
sible to interpret this prediction in any o- 
ther sense than this — that the Saviour of 
the w orhl should be born of one of their de- 
scendantSi We cannot, with any degree 
of reason, apply this prophecy to their pos- 
terity, considered in a general view ; be- 
cause they consisted of a people so different 
from the rest of the world, and with whom 
they had so little communication, that it is 
not to be presumed that so universal a bles- 
sing could be derived from them, and eyi* 
ieni\ its influence over all the nations of the 
earth. The prophecy concerning Shiloh, 
which hath been the occasion of so much 
controversy, and of which so many expli- 
cations have been given, may, however, be 
elucidated from those most aacient predlc- 



]^0 HIS DAUGHTER. ^3 

dons, T^'hich imply that the Messiah shouhl 
be born at a time, wheu the sceptre, depar- 
ting from the house of Judah, should fall in- 
to the hands of a stranger, nor any longer be 
held by a person of Jewish estraction, 

Moses had very expressly promised the 
appearaDce of a prophet, and indeed the 
only prophet, which would resemble him, 
more especially in this particular — Thai 
God woiild reveal to him his rvilU which he 
was to coimiMtnicate to tnen—m this consist- 
ed the peculiar prerogative of Moses, which 
distinguished him from all those whom God 
had raised up in the midst of that natioo. 
As it is my design to treat of these subjects 
with as much brevity as possible, I should 
be drawn into a dissertation too copious, 
were I to take notice of the several places 
in the Psalms, where the coming of some 
extraordinary person is promised to man- 
kind; whom David has described in such 
brilliant colours that they cannot possibly 
be applied to a mere man. 

Such was the character given by Isaiah 
of the future Messiah, that it cannot agree 
with any other person but Jesus. His eu* 
tire book, though a long one, contains little 
else but the history of this Messiah that was 
to come, and of the new church of which 
he wa^ to be yie head* When he describes 



84 H^iLLEIVs LETTERS 

Ibis extraordinary gift from Heaven, which 
was to appear in the person of the Redee- 
mer, fee speaks of him in a kind of triumph, 
and with the utmost magnificence of lan- 
guage: — " Unto us a child is born, unto us 
** a son is given, and the government shall 
" be upon his shoulders; and his name shall 
*'be called Wonderful, CouQsellor, the 
^' Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the 
^^ Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his 
*' government and peace there shall be no 
" end, upon the throne of David and upon 
" his kingdom, to order it, and to establish 
" it with judgment and with justice, from 
^' henceforth even for ever." This prophet 
expressly foretold the very place of his 
birth ; declaring, that a great light was to 
rise in Galilee of the Gentiles, for there was 
Nazareth situated. He ah.o discriminated 
the family of which he was to be born, and 
that was of Jesse the Father of David. The 
voice of one crying in the wilderness^ which 
was a kind of an harbinger to the Messiah, 
was also to prepare for his coming. Mild- 
ness was to be the character of his reign ; 
peace was to flourish upon the earth, and 
of his empire there was to be no end. He 
promised, that, in this happy age, the wolf 
should dwell with the lamb, and the sucking 
child play on the hole of the asp. He far- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 8.^ 

Iher speaks of him in these words i " He 
*' shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his 
" voice to be heard in the street. A brui- 
" sed reed shall he not break, and the smoa- 
*• king flax shall not be quenched : he shall 
^* seek judgment in the earth, and the isles 
" shall wait for his Jaw. His church shall 
*' extend as far as the earth ; remote people 
" shall be converted to him, and shall bring 
*' to an end the ungrateful nation of the He- 
, " brews.*' And in order to suppress that 
\ worldly temper of the Jews, which induced 
them to expect a temporal monarch, a king 
of human race, who should reign with un- 
I controlled power, he has been very careful 
* to describe, in the most pointed and expres- 
sive terms, the humble condition in which 
the Messiah was to appear, and the suffer- 
ings which were reserved for him ; but who 
"would afterwards be exalted to the highest 
state of dignit}^ He represented him, at the 
same time, as a person whose exterior form 
would be humble, and whose appearance 
would be the meanest amongst the chihlren 
of men — " He shall grow before him," says 
^' Isaiah, " as a tender plant, and as a root 
•** out of a dry ground ; he hath no form nor 
" comeliness ; and when we see him, there 
" is no beauty that we should desire him. 
I** He is despised ami rejected of men, a 
H 



86 HALLER's LETTERS 

' man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; 
'and we hid as it were our faces from him : 
' he was despised, and ,we esteemed him 
' not. Surely he hath borne our griefs and 
' carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem 
' him stricken, smitten of God, and afiflict- 
' ed. But he was wounded for our trans- 
' gressions, he was bruised for our iniqui- 
' ties: the chastisement of our peace was 
' upon him, and with his stripes are we 
' healed. All we like sheep have gone a- 
' stray ; we have turned every one to his 
*own way, and the Lord hath laid on him 
' the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed 
• and he was afflicted, yet he opened not 
his mouth. He was taken from prison 
' and from judgment ; he was cut off from 
' the land of the living; he made his grave 
' with the wicked and with the rich in his 
' death, because he had done no violence, 
' neither was any deceit in his mouth.— 
' Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him : 
*' hehath put him to grief; when thou shalt 
' make his soul an offering forsin, he shall 
' see his seed, he shall prolong his days, 
' and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper 
'in his hand. He shall see of the travail 
'of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his 
' knowledge shall my righteous servant jus- 
' tify many ; for he shall fear their iniqui" | 



TO HIS DAUGhTER. SI 

" ties. Therefore will I divide him a por* 

" tion with the great, and he shall divide 

' " the spoil with the strong, hecause he hath 

^ " poured out his soul unto death, and he 

' •' was numbered with the traosgressors ; 

" and he bare the sins of many, and made 

" intercession for the transgressors." 

Almost all the prophets have predicted 
' the destruction of the Jewish nation, and 
^ the establishment of a new kingdom, with- 
( out comparison more extensive than that 
^ of Judah, and in greatness infinitely supe- 
rior to it, at the time when it should 4e 
governed by the kings descended from Da- 
' vid. The style of these predictions is in 
? the oriental manner; and indeed could not 
* be otherwise, to make any impression upon 
the minds of the inhabitants of those hot 
' climates ; where language, for many ages, 
even before the time of Moses, was always 
■ highly figurative, and to whom the prosaic, 
i uniform diction of the Borthern people ap- 
jj peared insupportably frigid and disgusting. 
! In many other passages we discern evi- 
i dent traces of the promised Redeemer.-— 
j The place of his nativity is mentioned; 
I and, notwithstanding the addition of certain 
circumstances extraneous to him, yet we 
may plainly discover a person spoken of, 
whose lineage would be very ancient, whose 



38 HALLER's LETTERS 

days would be eternal, and whose coming 
would exterminate idolatry. 

To this succeeded the famous prophecies 
of Daniel ; which were so clear and accu- 
rate, that Porphyry, not being able to re*» 
fute them, endeavored to invalidate their 
divine authority, by insinuating that they 
were written after the event had happened^ 
The suspicions of this ancient writer, who 
has been too successfully followed by the 
free-thinkers of the present age, may, with 
equal propriety, be applied in opposition to 
what we find in the writings of this pro* 
phet concerning the kings of Syria and Er 
gypt. All the prophecies which regard the 
Messiah were free from every appearance 
of compulsion^-the book of Daniel was 
translated into the Greek language more 
than two centuries before the coming of 
Christ; which translation was in the bauds 
both of the Jews and Gentiles. 

Daniel, having addressed the Almighty 
in private prayer^ that out of his abundant 
goodness, he would pardon the sins of his 
people, and rebuild Jerusalem, received in 
a vision this answer — " Seventy weeks are 
*' determined upon thy people, and upon 
"thy holy city to finish the transgression, 
^^ and to make an end of sins, and to make 
' reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 39 

. ^' everlasting righteousness, and to seal up 
[ '^ the vision and prophecy, and to anoint 
^ *' the most holy. Know, therefore, and un- 
"^ ** derstand, that frooi the going forth of the 
" commandment to restore and to build Je- 
*' rusalem, unto the Messiah the prince 
" shall be seven weeks ; and threescore 
'^ and two weeks the streets shall be built a- 
*' gain, and the wall, even in troublesome 
" times. And after threescore and two 
*' weeks shall the Messiah be cut off, but 
*' not for himself: and tlie people of the 
*' prince that shall come, shall destroy the 
*' city and the sanctuary, and the end there- 
" of shall be with a flood, and unto the end 
^^ of tlie war, desolations are determined ; 
" and he shall confirm the covenant with 
" many for one week and in the midst of the 
** week he shalF cause the sacrifice and the 
*'• oblation to cease ; aftd for the oversprea- 
" ding of abominations he shall make it die- 
*' solate, even until the consummation, and 

• ** that determined shall be poured upon the 
** desolate/' 

In another place, other events are fore- 
told by this prophet ; the time in which they 
were to happen is precisely marked; and 

'"■ it was signified to him that it was yet at 
some distance, but that he who was reserved 

' for this person, should not enter into his rest 

* H2 



90 HALLER^s LETTERS 

till the completion of these days. It was 
farther intimated, that (he end of the worlds 
for this is the sense of the original, was to 
be reckoned from the time that the daily sa- 
crifice should be abolished, and that abo- 
mination should be introduced, which was 
to be the cause of the great desolation that 
was to follow. 

I designedly omit some particular cha- 
racteristics of the Messiah which are scat- 
tered in the wTrtiogs of the prophets ; more 
especially those that have a doubtful or am-^ 
biguous complexion. — I shall reduce the 
few materials which I have collected from 
the prophecies to the following observa- 
tions. 

In all the ancient books, on whose au- 
thenticity we may safely rely, this point of 
doctrine is constantly and invariably incul- 
cated — That there w^ould appear in the 
world a person of great dignity, who would 
bring salvation with him, and re-establish 
justice. 

This eminent personage is described 
under different characters. He was to spring 
from the posterity of the patriarchs Abra- 
ham, Isaac, and Jacob, end from one of the 
descendants of David. He was to assume 
the prophetic olBce, aad to perform super- 
natural works. 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 91 

His flower was not to he supported by 
force or violence ; he was to reiga by per- 
suasion, by kindness, and benefits. 

The place of his birth was fixed : and the 
exact time of it determined. The edict of 
the king of Persia was the epocha from 
whence this computation was to be made. 

His sufferings are described in a circum* 
gtantial manner; and painted in lively and 
j)athetic colours. His death was also posi- 
tively foretold. 

But that which makes the greatest im- 
pression upon ray mind, are the following 
particulars^— the grandeur and debasement 
which are blended in this extraordinary 
person, his divine origin, his m editorial of- 
fice, his sufferings, the meanness of his 
appearance, and the duties he discharged as 
Redeemer of the w orld. This portrait hath 
not its original amongst mankind | it never 
was conceived by the wit of any mortal 
being. The Jews themselves, who, in pre- 
ference to the rest of mankind, were to re- 
ceive the Messiah, to whom in a more par- 
ticular manner he was to be a Saviour, and 
who were his disciples and neighbors, could 
not, however, be persuaded that he was the 
person described by the prophets. Their 
sordid miuds could form no other idea of a 
prince of the royal house of David, but as a 



92 HALLER^s LETTERS 

king, the possessor of a throne, a conqueror, 
and victorious monarch. 

The prophets, notwithstanding, had uni- 
ted, in the most positive and express terms, 
this grandeur and meanness of condition ia 
the character which they had drawn of the 
Saviour of mankind. 

This person, they said, is from all eter- 
nity ; he will carry with him sufficient 
proofs that he proceeded from God alone; 
yet he will be born, will live in the greatest 
poverty, will suffer, and be put to death. 
• He will rise from the dead ; he will reign 
for ever; he will shower down his blessing 
upon all people; he will appease the Su- 
preme Being; he will restore to men that 
justice which they had lost. He will die, 
not for himself, but for the world ; he will 
be bruised for their otfences, he will lay 
down his life as an oblation for sin. 

From the foundation of the world there 
hath appeared but one man in whom are u- 
nited all these characteristics; and this was 
Jesus of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, de- 
scended from David, always addressed by 
ihat name by those who had recourse to 
him for relief; whom the people would 
more than once have placed upon the 
hrone, whose parents, in the reigd of Do- 
milian. were exposed to great danger be- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 93 

cause of their son, and who escaped death 
by reason of their poverty and abject con- 
dition. 

This Jesus preached his doctrine with- 
out noise and tumult; he did nothing but 
what was good ; the rectitude of his conduct 
was invariably the same, and never was 
calumniated ; he was held in respect during 
the three first centuries after his coming in- 
to the world, in those sorrowful times when 
the religion which he had announced was 
condemned by the laws of the Pagans, mor- 
tally hated both by them and the Jews, and 
exposed to the cruellest assaults — when 
nothing prevented the enemies of the faith 
from making the strictest researches, to dis- 
cover any fault with which they might ac- 
cuse its author — in those times, when a 
learned sophist, at the head of the first uni- 
versity in the world, attacked the Christian 
doctrine by his writings, and employed all 
the artifices of the most inveterate persecu- 
tors, to exterminate it from the face of the 
c arth— -in those times, when a Celsus en- 
deavored to load it with the foulest reproach- 
es — when a Lucian attenijUed to expose 
the Christians to ridicule, by the keenness 
and severity of his satire — when the Jews 
anathematized and deserted them, as apos- 
tates from their religion and worshrp, and 



m HALLER's LETTERS 

exhibited against them a most inveterate 
animosity, which they imbibed, as it were, 
in their cradle — in those times so unfavora- 
ble to the Christian«ause; no one, however, 
impeached the innocence of its divine Au- 
thor — no one attacked the integ;rity and 
simplicity of his first disciples. He said of 
himself, and this indeed was the substance 
of all his discourses, and of those of his 
apostles, that he came into the world to 
suffer for the sins of men. In conformity 
to this design, he resigned himself into the 
hands of his enemies; he received, as a dis- 
ciple, one who, under the semblance of 
friendship, betrayed him ; whose perfidy and 
intended guilt were however perfectly 
known to him. His last discourses were an 
intercession in favor of his deluded people, 
and his last words were a declaration that 
he had accomplished his task. 

By his death, the glorious promises of the 
prophets obtained their full accomplishment. 
An immense kingdom extended itself over 
all parts of the earth, and sprung, as it were, 
from his blood. The Gentiles, in great 
numbers, embraced the Christian faith ; the 
profession of which notwithstanding, ex- 
posed them to almost inevitable death. — 
Their manners were reformed ; and an 
universal charity was introduced into the 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 95 

hearts of those who before had hated all 
nations except themselves. Chastity suc- 
ceeded to that piofligacy and impurity with 
which their very temples were defiled.— 
Freedom was given to the slaves ; and the 
vrorld became one family of brethren, united 
by similar sentiments. 

This character, which was too sublime 
for the reason of man to imagine or con- 
ceive, was perfectly realized in Christ : in 
whom we may discern all those features 
which are so clearly marked by the ancient 
prophets. 

He whom God only could describe by 
his servants, so many ages before his com- 
ing, appeared at last with true greatness — 
a greatness resulting from the immense bene- 
fits of the sacrifice of himself, which no man 
could foresee, because no man was capable 
of it. 

The character of so divine a person, des- 
tined, however, to punishment, was never 
imagined by the wisest of men; and, when 
the original was actually seen, it was to the 
Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks 
foolishness. 

Since the first converts among the most 
enlightened nations of the East judged it 
necessary, in pursuance of the design they 
had in view, to conceal from their disciples 



m HALLER's LETTERS 

the mean appearance of the Mediator or 
Redeemer whom they preached, would 
Isaiah, if he had been influenced by the 
same prudential motives, have drawn a pic- 
ture which was without resemblance, either 
in human events, or in any ideas which had 
been conceived by man ? Gould there be 
found a person so impious as to assume the 
character of the Saviour of the world; a 
character of great utility to mankind, but 
which could not fail to bring upon him who 
personated it, if he would literally accom- 
plish the prophecies, a long train of labors 
and sufferings, and at last a shameful death ? 
It is easy to be seen, from an examina- 
tion of the actions of our Saviour, that no 
impostor could possibly, by any artifice, rea- 
lize in his own person all those circum- 
stances so particularly enumerated by the 
prophets ; these could only be completely 
verified by him who was the true archetype 
of the picture delineated. He must be born 
of a certain family, and of the blood of Da- 
vid. — Bethlehem must be the place of hfs 
birth, and this light must first shine in Gali- 
lee. The time of his coming and his obla 
lion had been fixed ; the manner in which 
he must be interred was particularly des- 
cribed ; after his death the sacrifice was to 
cease; the ensigns of the Romans, orna- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 97 

inented w ith the images of their false gods, 
were to be displayed in a place where they 
ought never to have appeared ; he was him- 
self to live in poverty, and to shed his blood 
for the sins of men ; but his spiritual king- 
dom was to be infinite, as well in extent 
as duration. If was therefore requisite that 
the Messiah should accomplish, in his own 
person, all those predictions of the prophets, 
if he would be recognized as the person whom 
Israel, for so many ages, had expected. 

It had been impossible for a mere hu- 
man being, without the assistance of God, 
to have distinguished himself by all those 
characteristics which were necessary to ap- 
pear in the Messiah. Add to this, the 
time of his birth, his genealogy, the great 
effects produced from causes so trivial, the 
prodigious success which attended his min- 
istry, though the time was so short, and the 
country so despised in which he was employ- 
ed in teaching a doctrine that spread itself 
into all places and has been perpetuated 
through every succeeding age. There is 
nothing which so much distinguishes the 
Christian religion as its opposition to the 
passions and inclinations of human nature. 
The example of its great founder is unpre- 
cedented. Where shall we find a man who, 
like him, devoted his whole life te labor; 
I 



98 HALLER'g LETTERS 

preferred a state of poverty and contempt ;. 
exposed himself to continual dangers, with- 
out expecting any other fruit than inevitable 
death ? It evidently appears, then, that no 
human address or artifice could invest a per- 
son with the distinguishing characters of 
the Messiah; and even if it had been in the 
power of any man to have assumed them, 
it would have been a proof of prudence 
and discretion to have declined th« arduous 
task, since it could procure him nothing but 
sufferings and distress. 






TO HIS DAUGHTER. 99 

LETTER VIII. 

Causes and effects of the zeal and the courage of the A' 

pestles. Nature and force of the proof of Christianity , 

f from Miracles. The Miracles of our Saviour, not only 

evidence of his Divine power, but also of his wisdoui, 

' goodness, and disinterestedness. 

ll i. 

s TO what then must we attribute the won» 
iderful effects which followed the preaching 
^of the gospel ? Must we ascribe them to 
»chanee ? Was it iu I he power of twelve per- 
sons, of mean condition, their minds unen- 
lightened by science, and not conversant 
with the great mysteries of revelation — 
was it in the power of such persons to reform 
(the world? These consequences flowed 
from a firm persuasion that Jesus was the 
person foretold by the prophets. This well 
grbunded conviction was the only weapon 
that rendered them victorious in the dangers 
iand persecutions which they encountered : 
It was this which placed them above the 
[corrupt desires of human nature, the love of 
ourselves, and the prejudices of birth and 
education. The zeal which was kindled in 
the disciples of our Saviour communicated 
itself to a great number of persons who were 
soon inflamed with the same afl*ections.— 
IBut what was it which produced in them this 
^^perfect conviction that Jesus was the Mes- 
siah ? They had been witnesses to the pu- 



10» HALLER's LETTERS 

rity of his manners and the innocency of his 
life ; they perceived that his doctrine was 
in' all respects, worthy of God; they clearly 
discerned in him all the lineaments and 
characters of the promised Messiah ; and, 
in short, they had ocular demonstration of his 
miracles. Without having recourse to all 
these considerations, which are powerful 
motives of belief, and of themselves capable 
of producing conviction, let us consider that 
these men, who were naturally timid, whose 
inclinations were attached to the things of 
this world, who were possessed neither of 
great natural nor acquired abilities, would 
hardly have formed of themselves so great 
an enterprise as that of subjecting the world 
to a man who had been crucified. Much^ 
less would their instructions have produced 
such instantaneous effects, or operated sa 
powerfully upon the minds of so many thou- 
sands of people. 

Amongst the causes which wrought con- 
viction in the mind^ of the apostles, I |nen- 
tioned the miracles of our Saviour. It will 
therefore be proper, in this place, to consid- 
er the reality of them, because they afford 
a solid proof in support of Christianity, suffi- 
cient to produce the assent of reasonable 
men. And I think this discussion the more 
nee essary, as our modern free- think«rs have 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 101 

been pleased to say, that the doctrine of Je- 
sus Christ is indeed worthy of respect; but 
that the miracles on which we would sup- 
port it, are the only cause which prevents 
them from considering the author as a divine 
person. An uninterrupted series of events, 
all relating to the same object, are sufficient 
to persuade men accustomed to reflection, 
and who can trace the consequences of 
things. The exact resemblance which we 
remarked betwixt Jesus Christ and the Mes- 
siah, promised by the prophets, must un- 
avoidably produce oonviction in those who 
have distinctly examined their successive 
predictions, and compared them with the 
history of the life of our Saviour. But all 
men are not capable of making these inqui- 
ries. Those, however, who are placed in 
the lowest ranks of society, are as much the 
objects of the Almighty's f)aternal regard, 
as those who are dresseil in purple, or seat- 
ed on a throne, whojike the rest of man!- 
kind, are subjected to njortality. I will 
even venture to affirm, that a truth, pro- 
ved by a long train of consequences, how- 
ever well connected, will not operate, with 
sufficient efficacy, in the enlightened minds 
of those who are capable of perceiving this 
connection ; it makes no impression on their 
senses ; it is a light, but not ajfir^, 
12 



102 HALLER's LETTERS 

The proofs, therefore, of the divine mis- 
sion of our Saviour, ought to be simple and 
obvious ; so that the more ignorant part of 
mankind may be sensible of their force — be 
convinced and persuaded by them, though 
they have not the advantage of learnino:, or 

great natural penetration. Yet these 

grounds of belief must be so solid, so con- 
formable to the spiritof the ancient prophe- 
cies, and so perfectly consonant with the 
known attributes of God, that they must be 
capable of satisfjang more cultivated minds, 
and such as have been accustomed to re- 
flection. 

It rested with the Divine Goodness to 
adopt such means as might not only procure 
the ready acquiescence of faith, but also all 
due respect to him who was the minister 
chosen for the accomplishment of his de- 
signs. — The person deputed to perform this 
business, w^as to bring with him such infal- 
lible tokens of a divine mission, as could 
not be produced, but by one really sent from 
God. And what proof is there more effect- 
ual than the power of working miracles?—*. 
They operate immediately upon the senses. 
In order to feel their force, there is no need 
of laborious investigation, or profound know- 
ledge. The impression th^y make must ne- 
cessarily be the same with that which it 



TO HiS DAUGHTER. 103 

produced by the evidence of sense. If I 
see before my eyes an object that is red, I 
cannot be mistaken iu regard to its colour ; 
with no less certainty am I convinced, that 
a human body is actually dead, after it hath 
been four days iu the grave, and exhaled 
those putrid efSuvia which proceed from 
corruption. But when this dead body, at 
the command of another man, rises from the 
grave, and is endued with the same powers 
of motion that it possessed before f when, 
to the a|)pearanceg of putrefaction succeed 
all the ordinary signs of life ; when the dead 
body walks about, speaks, and iu my pre- 
sence, for a considerable space of time, per- 
forms all the usual functions of vitality, 
every man, surely, who is not destitute of 
common sense, must infer, with the utmost 
confidence, that the deatl body, by a visible 
though a supernatural effect of the omni- 
potence of God, hath been restored to life* 
The proof which results from miracles is 
equally intelligible and convincing to all 
men. Who, that sees before his eyes, the 
presence of the Divinity in the operation 
of a miracle, can remain unmoved with ad- 
miration, or withhold that profound respect 
Avhich is due to so powerful a Being ? Thig 
manner of persuasion is more animated than 
all the demonsirations ofphiiosophy ; it in- 



104 HA.LLER»8 LETTERS 

sinuates itself, through the vicdium of the 
senses, into the mind, where it begets an 
humble reverence of thai God, who thus 
condescends to reveal himself to mortals. 
It was this divine testimony that inclined 
many thousands of people, unenlightened 
by knowledge, to proclaim Jesus their king ; 
who, according to their ideas, was the Mes- 
siah of whom the prophets had spoken. It 
was this that induced the apostles to sub- 
mit with cheerfulness to death ; they saw 
the power of God displayed in him; they 
regarded his doctrine as the voice of God 
who spake to them by the miracles which 
Jesus wrought. They placed an absolute 
confidence in the promises of eternal life ; 
and they judged them perfectly sure, be- 
cause they were made by a man in whom 
God visibly dwelt. It is to this cause we 
must ascribe the conversion of St. Paul, and 
that ardent zeal with which he was after- 
wards actuated — a man well versed in all 
Ihe learning of the Jews, but who had been 
for a long time incredulous. He travelled 
through all the provinces of the empire, and 
with an unshaken intrepidity, even in chains 
and in death, affirmed that Jesus was the 
Son of God. It was not a profound study of 
the prophets, or an attentive comparison of 
the history of Christ with the ancient pro- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 103 

phecies, that produced this change ; his con- 
version was the sudden effect of a miracle. 
These very prophets, of whom we speak, 
have represented miracles as a sign which 
would characterise the true Messiah. — 
'' The blind,'' say they, " shall see, the 
lame shall walk, when the doctrine of sal- 
vation shall " be announced to the mise- 
rable.^' Our Saviour oftentimes appealed to 
these miracles as a proof that he was sent 
from God. *' If," says he, " you believe me, 
believe the works which I do." He declar- 
ed, that he should consider those men as in- 
nocent and blameless w ho refused their as- 
sent to the truth of his doctrine, if they 
had not an opportunity of seeing those works 
w hich DO other man had done ; and his dis- 
ciples were not afraid to declare openly to 
the people, and inthe great assembly of the 
nlation, that Jesus had made himself knowa 
by his miracles. 

The nature of the miracles which he was 
to perform had been also foretold. His 
prodigies were not to be of that marvellous 
kind which would only serve to gratifj^van- 
ity. He caused neither mountaius nor tem- 
ples to be removed from their places. — 
They were neither acts of severity nor pun- 
ishment. His miracles were without osten ^ 
tation, and benevolent in their effects ; such 



108 HALL^IR's LETTERS 

as Isaiah had predicted for several ages 
past. Maladies, before incurable, disap- 
peared at hiscommand ; the eyes of the bliod 
were opened; the lame walked ; children 
deprived of life were restored to their dis- 
consolate parents. His disciples, when 
angrj, breathed nothing but revenge ; but 
he would not, at their solicitation, call down 
fire from heaven upon a town whose inhab- 
itants had treated him with contempt. The 
Pharisees and Sadducees, who were pro- 
fessed enemies to every religion, experi- 
enced not the avenging power of him whom 
they had blasphemed. These miracles were 
a proof of his modesty as well as his human- 
ity. He required no recompense for the 
favours he had conferred ; he would scarcely 
permit those persons whom he had relieved 
from distress, to offer him the merited tribute 
of thanksgiving. He refused to hear him- 
self praised by those whom he had miracu- 
lously delivered from their infirmities ; and 
when the people were desirous to proclaim 
him their king, he prevented them by a 
speedy retreat. 

I have already remarked, in the conduct 
of this divine person, that he was particu- 
larly careful to cause no division in the Jew- 
ish church. He did not place himself at 
the head of a sect ; he ob served the reli- 



TO HIS DA.UGHTER. lOt 

gious ceremonies which were then in use ; 
he assisted at their solemn festivals; and 
was present at the celebration of several of 
the passovers. He took care to send to the 
chief priests a leper whom he had healed, 
that he might obtain permission from them, 
accordiug to the law of Moses, to enter again 
into society, from which his former disor- 
der had excluded him. He enveloped, 
with great address, his divine lessons in the 
obscurity of parables, that the common 
people, who were his auditors, might not 
easily penetrate into their meaning ; and he 
threw a shade over the brightness of those 
truths which he had brought from heaven to 
earth, at a time when they might have been 
the cause of much trouble and disturbance. 

That wisdom, which knew the affairs of 
the world, and was well acquainted with 
times and seasons, never availed itself of 
these circumstances for any temporal ad- 
vantage. This conduct, therefore, has pre- 
vented the enemies of revelation from start- 
ing, as an objection, that the Redeemer of 
mankind acted from human or interest«d 
views. 

But the miracles w^hieh he wrought were 
fully sufficient to accomplish his designs ; 
they were numerous, and were infinitely 
superior to all the powers of man : in them 



108 HALLER'8 LETTERS 

the finger of God was evidently discovered. 
Many were performed in public, and before 
the eyes of great multitudes. Lazarus was 
raised from the dead, in the presence of his 
enemies. Jesus knew that the time of his 
death was approaching ; he therefore made 
choice of this opportunity, to give an extra- 
ordinary proof of the divinity by which he 
acted, notwithstanding the meanness of his 
appearance. For this end he purposely ab- 
sented himself; he went not to Lazarus till 
there were sufficient demonstrations of the 
total extinction of life ; not till four days 
had elapsed since he died — sufficient time 
for putrefaction in so hot a climate — that 
there might not be the shadow of a doubt 
respecting the reality of his death. When 
he came, he found the dead<»body wrapped 
in cloaths used at interments, and his face 
covered. Jasus called him in the name of 
God his Father ; and this voice restored 
Lazarus to life. He arose ; and it is gener- 
ally thought, lived a long time after his re- 
surrection : because the Jewish hierarchy 
had formed the horrid design of putting him 
to death, that he might not remain a living 
witness of the supernatural power of Christ. 
This miracle was performed in the pre- 
sence of his enemies, and of many Jews who 
assisted at the event, and who informed the 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 109 

Pharisees of the fact to which they had 
iheen eye-witnesses, aod which, they con- 
jfessed, exceeded the power of man. But 
J the greatness and reality of tliis miraculous 
^ work was the cause of hastening the death 
i of him who had performed it, 



K 



HO HALLER's LETTERS 

LETTER IX. 

The Ressurection of Jesus Christ, the great evidence of 
the truth of the Christian Religion. An appeal con- 
stantly made t'> this fact by the Aposties and first 
Christians. The nature, necessity, and propriety of 
the proof of our Saviour's divine mission, by his resur- 
rection. The conduct of his disciples inexplicable up- 
on human views or motives. The enthusiasm of the 
disciples of Mahomet, and of the martyrs of Japan, 
accounted for and compared with the heroic courage 
and zeal of the Christian apostles and martyrs. The 
true source of the holy ^eal that animated the dis- 
ciples of Jesus Christ. 

THE Resurrection of Christ himself is 
another striking event, liesigned, in a more 
particular manner, to convince the world 
that he was the Son of God. The oppo- 
site characters of debasement and dignity 
were never found united in one person but 
in the Redeemer of the world. Jesus of 
Nazareth, during the whole course of his 
life, appeared in a state of humiliation ; and 
of this humiliation his death was at once 
the consummation and the greatest excess. 
As he appeared in this humble state, so, ia 
order to fulfil the predictions of the pro* 
phets, and to correspond exactly to the de- 
scription they had given of the Messiah, it 
was necessary that he should appear in a 
state of exaltation. If he had remained in 
the grave, the attributes of the Divinity, 
^vhich were to dwell with the Messiah, 
could not have beeji recognized in him ; we 



TO HIS DAUGHTliR. Hi 

could not have discerned those prerogatives 
which were to distiuguish him from other 
) mortals; there would have been no resem- 
5 blance in the portrait which the prophets 
; had drawn of the Saviour who Avas to come. 
We may remark, that in ail the discour- 
ses of the apostles, addressed either to the 
I Jewish people, to the Sanhedrim, or even 
] to the Gentiles, the resurrection of oui^ 
1 Saviour was the great argument used by 
' them to demonstrate the Divinity of their 
Master. For the inhabitants of Athens, 
j who were not much versed in matters of 
religion, imagined, after they had heard St. 
Paul use this proof, that the resurrection 
was the goddess, the worship of whom he 
wanted to introduce. — Christ himself often 
referred the incredulous Jews to the proof 
which his resurrection w^ould furnish, when 
they requ'r d of him a sign from heaven 
to confirm his divine mission. Nay, far- 
ther, the promise which he had made of 
his resurreclion was accommodated after- 
wards, not without some violence to their 
prejudices. 

Every man who would establish his faith 
upon reasonable foundations ought to weigh 
this proof w^ith attention ; and 1 would ear- 
nestly recommend to him the consideration 
of it. Truth loses nothing by being closely 



112 HALLER's LETTERS 

examined. The proof which we have ad- 
duced will serve to confirm the divinity ok* 
our Saviour. The Jewish priests had used 
all imaginable precaution to prevent the bo- 
dy of Jesus from being stolen ; for they 
were well acquainted with the promise 
which he had made in such express and po- 
sitive terms, that he >vould rise again. It is 
well known that the Roman discipline was 
very severe and exact. A detachment of 
soldiers of that nation were appointed to 
watch the door of the sepulchre where the 
dead body was laid, wrapped in funeral 
doaths according to the custom of the Jews, 
with a preparation of aromatic spices, to 
prevent the disagreeable effects of the ca- 
daverous eflluvia. At the entrance was pla- 
ced a large stone, and to this stone was af- 
fixed the seal of the magistrate. In spite 
of all these precautions, the dead body was 
gone. We can frame no other excuse for 
the guards than this, thai thev slept, and 
that the disciples of Jesus, attentive to eve* 
ry thing which pa sed, took that opportuni- 
ty of carrying the dead body away. This 
apology exposed the soldiers to a severe 
punishment; but they were flattered with 
the hopes that the martial law would, in 
their case, be disarmed of its rigour, by the 
presents which should be made to those 



TO HIS DAUGHTEH. 113 

whose duty it was to carry it into execu- 
tion. 

Four days after the resurrection of our 
Saviour, the disciples being assembled toge- 
ther, were summoned to appear before the 
Sanhedrim. They spoke also fo the [)eO" 
pie in the temple. Their first and constant 
ilefence was this — That Jesus, whom they 
had crucified through their blindness and 
obstinacy, was risen from the dead. So 
extraordinary a miracle defeated all the de- 
signs of the Jewish council, and rendered 
their efforts of no avail. This defence, 
therefore, of the apostles, it was their inte- 
rest to discredit ; for, if Christ was risen, 
they could no longer consider his death as 
an event which must annihilate his new 
doctrines ; this would rather be alledged 
as a convincing proof of the divinity of his 
mission ; it would be one of the character- 
istics by which he would be known; and 
his resurrection would be another. The 
Messiah could not be more distinguishable 
than by these circumstances — that, after 
he had suffered for onr offences, he rose a- 
gain, and was raised by God to partake of 
iiis eternal glory. But the means employ- 
ed by the council (who were by no means 
destitute of sagacity) were but badly calcu- 
lated to accomplish the ends thev propo- 
K2 



114 HALLER's LETTERb 

sed ; none of their actions seemed to be 
dictated by common prudence. They did 
not publicly and solemnly accuse the apos- 
tles of propagating a falsehood ; they did 
not examine closely and judicially the de- 
positions of the soldiers ; they did not in- 
vite the people to see the dead body of Je- 
sus ; which, if risen, must have appeared 
with a countenance more than human ; but, 
if he was an impostor, must have been still 
in the grave. The council perceived the 
boldness and intrepidity of the apostles ; 
Ihey saw the attachment of the people to 
them; and, that the number of those who 
acknowledged him tor the Messiah, was 
much greater than when he was alive, and 
displayed his miracles amonjSfst them. — ^ 
Their honour was at stake; they, there- 
fore, used every method in their power to 
exculpate themselves from the accusation 
that they had put to death an innocent 
man. For if they could not disjirove the 
reality of the resurrection, it was no lonsrer 
one of the common f>eo|)ie whom they had 
unjustly accused, but it was the Son of God, 
^nd the Saviour of Israel, whom they had 
murdered. 

The principal men amonc:st the Jews 
could not but see that the new converts to 
Christianity, whose uumbers daily iccrea- 



seil, had abandoned the religion of i\.e mur- 
derers of a jMaoter whom they had esteem- 
ed and honoured as a divine person; and 
had formed themselves into a powerful sect, 
who despised their dignitjs and despoiled 
them of the privileges w hicii they had en- 
joyed, and of the title they had assumed of 
hef)(ls and rulers of Ihe church. 

It would have been »n easy matter for 
I them 1o havejustified themselves, if the re- 
• surrection of our Saviour had not been real. 
' There were living wi'nestes to whom they 
I might haveapfjealed in respect to the part 
they bore in ih^ transaction ; as they were 
' present, and were ai)le to liave given an 
accurate and unso;diisticated relation of 
j what they saw. The large slone which 
I lind been rolled to the doorof the sepulchre, 
( must have been sullicient to have secured 
( the dead body in the id ace where it had 
j been laid. 'I'here were also witnesses of 
I the actions of Jesus then living, to whom 
I they might have appealed for information ; 
I anrl, if the miracles reported of him had 
I been false, they might easily have been de- 
I tccted. 

None of these prudential precautions, 
however, were taken. The chief priests 
enjoined the apostles silence ; this was the 
':nly means of jusliiicatioa adopted by the 



116 tlALLER^s LETTERS 

council. But the apostles chose rather to 
obey God thao man. They continued to 
preach and to afFirm, that God had raised 
irom the dead that Jesus whom they had 
crucified, and had taken him up into hea- 
ven. 

Whence were the apostles animated with 
50 great courage ? They w^ho had bei'ore 
discovered such marks of timidity as to be- 
take themselves to a shameful flight whea 
the enemies of their master came to appre- 
hend him ? wiien the most resolute amongst 
them, at the approach of danger, had the 
weakness to deny that he knew this Gali- 
lean ? In this time of peril they betrayed 
a cowardice which can hardly be excused ; 
they forsook that master whose miracles 
they had seen, whose doctrine, having for a 
long time heard, they esteemed as divine, 
and whose power, so superior to the laws of 
nature, they had so often admired. 

After his death, his disciples would have 
denied him, if that death had not been fol- 
lowed by a resurrection. Without this last 
circumstance, no credit would have been 
given to what he had said. His disci{>les 
would no longer have cherished the hopes 
of a second and glorious appearance ai' 
their master. They would no longer have 
expected a part either of his kingdom, or 



TO HIS DAUGHTER, 117 

of the salvation he was to procure for hid 
people, or otthose blessings which he was 
to dispense. They must have been obliged, 
with sorrow and contusion, to confess that 
they had been deceived, and to retufn lo 
their former occupation of fishing. Such 
is the condnct which they must have been 
determined to follow, by the common dispo- 
sitions and feelings of human nature. And 
by this conduct they might naturally hope 
to escape that punishment they had reason 
to apprehend for conceiving the horrid de- 
sign of publishing a falsehood which they 
perfectly knew to be such. For what could 
be more absurd, or contrary to common 
sense, than to expose one's life in order to 
persuade the world that a man was the son 
of God, whose death witnessed the contra- 
ry ? — who usurped the title of Messiah, and 
suffered himself to be honored as such, 
though it must be necessarily known that 
he was not the promised Saviour ! 

The mortification alone of being so cruel- 
ly duped, must have been sufficient to have 
caused in the minds of the apostles, a detes- 
tation of the memory of him whom they 
had regarded as the Son of God — who had 
imposed himself on them as the promised 
Pvlessiah, but who was not the person he 
pretended to be. They had^ besides, oth- 



li^ WALLER'S LETTt^ES 

er more urgent motives to induce them to 
y\ ithdravv thems^elves from him, or to deny 
that they had been his disciples. Their 
master was delivered up to the Jewish 
council without making any resistance — 
was reduced to the lowest state of ignomi- 
ny, and suffered a shameful death. What 
could the disciples expect, but cruel perse- 
cutions^ — the hatred of those whom their 
master could not oppose, and, in a word, mi- 
sery and misfortunes of the worst kind ? — 
It appears, that in the whole course of their 
life, they sought no temporal recompense; 
and how could they expect it, when they 
persevered in their design of supporting an 
impostor? The secular arm was against 
them ; and they must have been convinced 
in their own conscience, that they were la- 
bouring for the glory of a man, whom the 
world knew, and they themselves could not 
but confess, was not he who was promised. 
By what means could they have gained 
[proselytes to a man who so little merited 
esteem and respe ct ? 

Certain it is, that their actions were dif-» 
ferent from the ordinary conduct of mankind; 
neither did they seem to be directed by 
those passions and inclinations which have 
reigned in all hearts, in all times, and in 
all countries. — This Jesus, nhom ye huv^ 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. llj? 

crucified^ is the Son of David, the anointed oj 
the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel. This they 
boldly dared to assert, in the midst of priests 
armed with church authority — in the midst 
of a multitude of peoi>le who had seen Je- 
sus expire, and wlvo beliered as a certain 
truth, for w hich they had the testimony of 
their own ejes, that he w as only mere man. 
Whence proceeded that heroic firmness 
which never abandoned the ministers of 
ou^ Saviour, and w^hich, in the midst of a 
shower of stones, shone with triumphant 
brightness in the countenance of St. Ste- 
phen ? Whence that undaunted intrepidity, 
Avhich the first preachers of the gospel car- 
ried \vilh them before the tribunal of eni'- 
perors, before kings, amongst the most en- 
lightened nations, and in all parts of the 
world ? which s[)irit of fortitude they pre- 
served, without diminution, for many years, 
even to the end of their ministry. 

. ,i I am aware, that, in all times, men of 
warm temperament, and zealously attached 
to any favorite doctrine, have maintained 
it with invincible courage, and have laid 
down their lives in support of it, though 
the doctrine was, in fact, erroneous. This 
idea occurred to me, from considering the 

I conduct of the followers of Mahomet; who, 
inflamed \Yitb zeal, have spread his doctrine 



120 HALLER's LETTERS 

from place to place, not intimidated by the 
prospect of death to which they were expo- 
sed in the accomplishment of their grand 
desigH. 

To these I might add the martyrs of Ja- 
pan, who suffered death with great resolu- 
tion, for a kind of Christianity that they 
professed, which, at least, amongst the grea- 
test part of them, may be called prejudice or 
infatuation; because none of those nume* 
rous believers knew the scriptures, though 
they seemed to die in defence of a doctrine 
which was there taught. 

This enthusiasm, I must confess, is nO 
proof of the truth of those dogmfvs, for which 
their advocates are inspired with such ar- 
dent zeal. Though it must be allowed, that 
the doctrines for which the martyrs already 
mentioned so earnestly contended, were 
not unmixed with truth ; and it was prin- 
cipally these truths which kindled that 
zeal which rendered so conspicuous the dis- 
ciples of Mahomet, as well as the inhabit- 
ants of Japan. The former acknowledged 
the unity of God, in 0!)position to the polj^- 
theism of the heathens ; and though the 
doctrines they received were human, they 
had, however, the effect of disposing them 
to reverence the true Saviour. 

But there is an essential difference be- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 121 

twixtihis kind of martyrs and those who, 
at the price of Iheir blood, rendered them 
selves a testimony of the divinity of Christ. 
The Jap mese sutfered for a system which 
was taught him, but of the truth of which 
he had no other proof than the confidence 
which he placed in his instructors ; who 
were not, however, witnesses of the facts 
which they maintained. — His death had 
I not proved that Jesus Christ was crucified 
more than a thousand years before, in Pa- 
lestine, and that he was truly the Saviour 
, of the world. The Japanese had been on- 
ly informed of these things; he had not 
; seen them ; he had not compared the wri- 
tings of the prophets with those of the apos- 
; ties, neither had he weighed the fact result- 
i ing from it, that Jesus was of a truth the 
Saviour of men. This he had been simply 
j fold, and upon no other evidence he believ- 
I ed it : and as it is the custom of that peo- 
4 ^de never to temporize on account of any 
J violence employed against them, this but 
j the more confirmed him in his persuasion ; 
because his persecutors, instead of endea- 
vouring to convince him by argument, at- 
tempted to terrify him by menaces and pun- 
j ishments. 

( The Japanese might be a man of honour, 

though his faith might be erroneous. — With 

L 



122 HALLER's LETTERS 

respect to the apostles of our Saviour, one 
of these two things must be admitted; either 
that their testimony is true, or that they 
were remarkable impostors. If the mira- 
cles attributed to Jesus were not really 
done ; if it is not true that he rose again; if, 
however, the apostles affirmed these two 
things, they must then be regarded as de- 
ceivers and false teachers, who spoke of 
facts which they affirm to have seen, though 
they were not susceptible of illusion, nor 
were their senses liable to be imposed upon. 
They declared that they had seen a dead 
man raised from the grave ; had conversed 
with their master several days after he 
was risen ; had seen him many times after 
he had been three days in the sepulchre ; 
had touched him ; had heard him speak ; 
had received his orders and instructions, 
and were with him at the very time when 
he ascended into heaven. All these cir- 
cumstances were subject to the examina- 
tion of the senses ; they could therefore judge 
of them with certainty. If, then, the apos- 
tles had not seen these things, or any re- 
semblance of them, they cannot be consi- 
dered as enthusiasts actuated with a good 
design. They were, I again repeat it, de- 
testable impostors, who deserve the con- 
tempt of mankind for presuming to assert 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 123 

' as a truth what they were well convinced 
^ was false. 

' But to return to the question which I 
■ have already proposed.— Whence proceed- 
^ ed that heroic courage which stimulated 
' men so timorous, so much attached to the 
present life and its advantages, to aonounce 
Jesus as the Saviour of the world; and even 
in the presence of his murderers, after that 
1 his death had positively decided this poiot 
so much to his disadvantage, and had seem- 
. ingly removed every appearance of doubt. 
1 We can assign no other reason but this — 
\ They had actually seen him before his death 
] perform mauy miracles, and after his death 
^ rise again. The power of God, which ex- 
tends even to the dead, shone so conspicu- 
' ously in Christ, that they could not but per- 
ceive in him all the traces of the promised 
1 Messiah. His apostles were perfectly satis- 
' lied, from the testimony of their own senses, 
^ and the conviction of their own minds, that 
' Jesus was the Son of God. They could 
": not, therefore, disavow it, or deny what they 
i were well persuaded was true. This it was 
I'l which made them seek death with a kind of 
'[ impatience, that they might meet their be- 
1 nevolent master, and receive from him the 
15 recompense of their labours. Neither the 
(1 hatred which they incurred, the persecution 



124 HALLER's LETTERS 

wliicli they suffered, nor death itself could 
separate them from him whom they esteem- 
ed as divine. 

The frequent conversations which they 
Jiad wiUi him, after his resurrection, dissipa- 
ted all tl»eir doubts, and wrought in the 
minds of tlie apostles a persuasion so perfect 
and entire, that Thomas addressed himself 
in terms which none of the rest had yet 
employed — My Lord and my God! This 
would have been saying too much to man, 
if he had act triumphed over death. But 
Christ suffered him to make use of this lan- 
guage, even praised him for it, and conside- 
red it as fiQ instance of his faith, that he 
had called him not only God^ but his God. 
This rem-rk will serve as an answer to the 
iiifi Fence drawn by those persons who have 
collected from the gospel all the passages 
w lit re Jt'KUs Christ, during the time of hi» 
humiliation, appears to be inferior to the 
Father. 

At present there is evidently a perfect 
connexion in the history which the apestles 
have given of Christ. They announce to the 
world the glory and elevation of the promi- 
sed Messiah, whom they had seen tromthe 
beginning, and in every stage of his life. — 
He was not only a teacher sent from God, 
but ©ne who performed such works as were 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 125 

contrary to the ordinary course of nature. 
These two circumstances had no other ef- 
fect upon the apostles at first, than to con- 
vince them that he was the prophet which 
God had promised to his people. But at 
the time of his sufferings, and of his death, 
their faith was strangely staggered. " We 
hoped," said they, sorrowfully, that " this 
' ^ was He w^ho should have re-established 
'. " the kingdom of Israel.*' — At this moment 
I of fear and apprehension, Christ appeared a- 
', gain alive. This resurrection removed e- 
very doubt. They saw in him the glory of 
an uncreated being; they acknowledged 
him to be their God; they lived for him, 
j and for him they consented to die. This 
I conviction, which God, who had appeared 
t to them, and whom they had seen, had ope- 
\ rated in their minds ; this irresistible con- 
viction, I say, conduced also to the conver- 
\ sion of the world. 

i The Jews, who, by their seditious hu- 
j mours, had obliged the judge to pass sen- 
I tenceof condemnation against Jesus — those 
! Jews, who, at the time of his death, insult- 
I ed the apostles with the bitterest r^^ille- 
i ries, fell at his feet a few days afterwards, 
and at the feet of those men whom they 
j had so much despised. They entreated the 
i disciples to make known to them the way 
I L2 



i2b HALLER's LETTERS 

of eternal life. — " Men and brethren," said 
they, '' what shall we do to be saved ?" — 
The important instructions they received 
on this occasion were not delivered from 
the seat of Moses; nor by men authorised 
to teach, as being the successors of the pro- 
j)hets ; nor by a Gamaliel, highly respected 
and esteen«ed as the oracle of the people ; 
!)ut by the obscure followers of Christ, who 
had attended him the whole time of his mi 
nistry, had learned his doctrines, and beeii? 
enlightened by his divine lessons. 

Here, then, is displayed the power of 
that conviction, which according to the pro- 
mise of our Saviour, inspired a small number 
of laymen, whose minds had never been cul- 
tivated by education, with the most exalt- 
ed fortitude. It was this which gave them 
so eminent a superiority over the philoso- 
phers and great personages of that age : — 
and at last confounded and put to silence 
every effort of human wisdom. This same 
spirit appeared afterwards, in a most re- 
markable manner, in St. Paul. The zeal 
with which he was inOamed enabled him to 
make some imjjression upon a Pagan king 
of a debauched and vicious life ; w^ho, when 
he had heard him, and was moved by the 
Uiunder of his eloquence, ascribed it to a de- 
Drivalion of reason. 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 1-7 

It was Ihis conviction which produced in 
the disciples of Jesus a contempt of death ; 
and, under the daily expectation of martyr- 
dom, enabled them to contemplate their ap- 
proacliing end with cheeri'uhiess and joy. 
This elTectmay be also ascribed to the long- 
ing hope and desire they entertained of be- 
ing with Christ, whos« sanctity they had 
seen, and whose miracles they had admired. 
If the greatness which they attributed to 
him was an imposition, or the consequence 
of a disordered imagination, what could be 
their expectations from men in dying for 
him ? Would not the dread of punishment 
have induced them to put off the mask ?— 
Gould they, in the midpt of that astonish- 
ment and repentance w hich now filled their 
troubled minds, have beheld, without fear, 
the preparations for a death which they 
justly merited, by presuming to publish false 
miracles, in order to impose on the world ? 
Yet their w ritings breathe nothing but con- 
stancy, resolution, and tranquillity, at the 
very time when they were surrounded by 
the horrors of death. They spoke of their 
departure, and of other circumstances rela- 
tive to their approaching end, with a calm- 
ness and serenity of soul, not to be changed 
by any impending danger ; they triumphed 
la the midst of the severest tortures. 



128 HALLER's LETTERS 

LETTER X. 

The truth of Christianity proved by miracles. That the 
apostles possessed the power of working miracles, ad- 
mitted by free thinkers, and even by Middleton him- 
self. The absurdity of the contrary supposition de- 
monstrated from the epistles of the apostles to the first 
Christians. The reformation of religion, in these lat- 
ter ages, from the errors of superstition. 

In order to strengthen the faith of the a- 
postles, and give a sanction to these first 
preachers of the gospel, God enabled them 
to perform miracles, but in the name of Je- 
sus. They cured diseases ; and though they 
possessed neither silver nor gold, yet they 
commanded the lame to walk; and they 
did walk ; the dead to be raised, and they 
were restored to life ; Avhich miraculous 
power has not been disputed to this day. — 
Even Middleton, who professed himself a 
free-thinker, and disputed the power of the 
church ia the first ages to work miracles, 
hath nevertheless acknowledged it in the a- 
postles. 

St. Paul, the most active of all the apos* 
ties, has expressed his sentiments upon this 
subject with such simplicity, and with so 
^reat confidence in the goodnese of his cause, 
that they appear to be a proof too evident to 
be wantonly attacked. — " There are," says 
he, " diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. 
" And there are diversities of operations, 
" but it is the same God, which worketh ail 



TO HIS DAUGHTER, 129 

*• ia all. For to one is given by tlie spirit 
'* the word of wisdom ; to another the gifts 
*' of healing ; to another the working of mi- 
*' racles ; to another prophecy ; to another 
*' divers kind of tongues; to another the in- 
*' terpretation of tongues. All are members 
*' of the same body ; so that one member 
" ought not to despise another. All these 
** gifts have their [larticular uses ; the eye 
" and ear are both necessary organs to the 
" body ; the members therefore are mutual- 
" ly serviceable to each other. Thus God 
" hath set some in the church ; first, apos- 
"tles; secondly, prophets ; thirdly, teach- 
*^ers; after these, miracles; then gifts of 
"healing; and afterwards diversities of 
" tongues," (this the apostle hath put in the 
last place.) " Ail," added he, " are not 
" apostles ; all are not workers of miracles ; 
" all do not speak with tongues ; these gifts 
*' are divided ; but, without charity, the gift 
V of prophecy, and the knowledge of lan- 
" guages, acquired not by study, but by the 
" communication of the holy spirit, are but 
" as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." 
** I love rather,'* says he, in his letter to the 
Corinthians, " to see you invested with the 
*^ gift of prophecy, than to speak in unknown 
*' tongues ; tor a prophecy and a knowledge 
*' of the secrets of the heart, produceth a 



130 HALLER's LETTERS 

" more certain conviction in the minds of 
'' your auditors." — The power of reasoning 
was much esteemed by this holy apostle, on 
account of its utility, and the effects it was 
capable of producing ; though he possessed, 
in an eminent degree, a supernatural know- 
ledge of languages. Upon this principle he 
advises the Corinthians in what manner 
they should employ their several gifts in 
their public assemblies; he directs, that ene 
should give place to another, for the exer- 
cise of the talent peculiar to each, in order 
thereby to promote the edification of all. 

We will suppose, my daughter, for a mo- 
ment, with the incredulous of the age, that 
miracles are things impossible to be done; 
that the Christians of the first ages had no 
supernatural gifts ; that they performed no 
miraculous cures; that the power of speak- 
ing languages was a chimera, as well as that 
of discerning spirits, or discovering the sen* 
timents of other men ; how great then must 
have been the temerity as well as extrava- 
gance of St. Paul, in presuming to impose 
upon the Corinthians — men of ingenious, 
penetrating, and irritable minds, whom the 
smallest dissention would easily provoke — 
a number of fabulous and ridiculous stories, 
for real facts, though they all knew them to 
be false^ or, at least, might have fully satis- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 131 

fied themselves in this particular! Would 
not these Greeks, who were much addicted 
to raillery, have replied in some such insult- 
ing manner. — "What does this frantic prater 
*' mean by his extraordinary gifts, who has 
" not so much as made his appearance a- 
*' moDgst us ?" 

These Greeks, however, whose talent 
for ridicule and criticism was hereditary, 
read, with patience, the letter of St. Paul, 
and humbly submitted to his remonstrances, 
as to a servant of God. They excommu- 
nicated an offender upon his representation, 
and deprived him of all communion ^ith 
them, until they were assured of bis repen- 
tance ; they adopted such regulations as he 
proposed, and bore his reproofs with submis- 
sion, being perfectly persuaded that he was 
endued with divine gifts, and that the les- 
sons they received from him, with respect 
to their conduct, were wise and prudent- 

We must here remark, that the apostles 
of Christ did not exercise the gifts with 
which they were endued, in private, nor in 
the presence of a small number of witnes- 
ses, who might have been procured by col- 
lusion; but publicly, Peter and John healed 
a lame man in the temple, about the ninth 
hour of the day, or, according to our method 
of computing time, about three hours after 



132 HALLER's LETTERS 

Roon, which was the hour of public prayer, 
when there was a great concourse of people 
in the temple. Paul and Barnabas had as 
many witnesses when they healed a great 
number of persons at Iconia. It is an easy 
matter to work miracles among superstitious 
people, blinded with zeal ; especially when 
force is em[)loyed to stop the mouth of the 
lirst spectator who doubts the reality of 
them : but oftentimes the presence only of 
another Christian, w^hose persuasion is dif- 
ferent, is sufficient to stop the performance 
of a miracle. But, in the present case, 
miracles were wrought in the midst of the 
most inveterate enemies to the name of 
Christ, and under the inspection of a peoplt* 
who had at their disposal the secular arm, 
and the power ot punishing ; and in whom 
it was a point of honor to discover any de- 
fect, or even suspicion, in every miracle 
that was done in that name wiiich was so 
odious to them. 

The most learned amongst the disciple* 
of Moses spared no pains in their researches 
and examinations ; but it w^as not with tli*? 
lightof truth that ihey endeavored to expose 
what they judged erroneous in the doctrine 
of Christ. Their only expedient was to si- 
lence those by compulsion who maintained 
a different opinion ; a conduct which betray- 
ed an extreme littleness of mind. 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 133 

These miracles were not done, as I ob- 
served before, in secret, nor near the bed of 
the sick person, surrounded by his family, 
who, in such cases, would consider ever}'^ 
favourable change that might happen in the 
disease, according to its natural course, as a 
particular mark of the kind interposition of 
Providence ; but they were done publicly, 
I in the presence of thousands of witnesses : 
, their effect was sudden and their operation 
I instantaneous, which, in the ordinary pro- 
gression of nature, would have been slow 
and tedious. These cures were made with- 
I out the assistance of any visible means ; 
[ no superstitious remedies were applied ; no 
amulets or consecrated talismen were em- 
ployed ; they were performed through the 
invocation of that God who hath establish- 
ed the laws of nature, and who hath the 
; power of suspending their action in such cir- 
cumstances as his dispensations, for the be- 
j nefit of mankind, may require. God, how- 
j ever, did not work miracles in a profuse 
I manner, and without any design. He favo- 
1 red the world with those prodigies, in order 
1 to confirm or introduce some great truths 
wiiich men were not disposed to receive. — 
i Miracles were performed when Moses en- 
. deavored to select a race of people from the 
rest of mankind, that thev might be preser- 
■ M * • 



134 HALLER's LETTERS 

ved in the profession and belief of a pure 
religion, which was repugnant to their na- 
tural inclinations. — Miracles were wrought 
in the times of the idolatrous kings of Israel, 
when the true worship began to be corrup- 
ted, and idolatry to be instituted in its room ; 
God being desirous to preserve amongst 
them a knowledge of the truth, and the ex- 
pectation of a Messiah that was to be born 
of that people. Jesus and the apostles were 
endued with the same supernatural power, 
in order to establish the true religion which i 
had, in a manner, disappeared from the face 
of the earth ; and to inform men that par- 
don for sins was not to be procured either 
by money, or the performance of simple ce- 
remonies ; that God required, as a necessary 
preliminary, purity of heart, and an entire 
reformation ef manners; and that the ex- 
piation of sins could be made by no other i 
means than by the satisfaction of a Media- 
tor. God, out of compassion to mankind, 
hath judged these truths, on which eternity 
depends, important and interesting enough 
to deserve a display of his absolute power 
over nature, that he might thereby establish 
them. When the doctrine of Jesus had 
made a sufficient procuress amongst men, 
and was deeply rooted in their minds, there 
was then a cessation of these miraculous 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 135 

gifts, as being no longer necessary; and we 
have uo instances, at least such as are well 
attested, that God, in latter times, hath con- 
ferred OQ any individual these supernatural 
talents. 

God was pleased, at a subsequent period, 
' to reform the corruptions which had crept 
into the Christian doctrine in the course of 
^ ages, and to bring to light those important 
Wruths which had been long forgotten; a- 
] mongst which was, in particular, that sinful 
'■' man could not be reconciled to God by any 
' means, which suffered the depravity of his 
' heart to remain unreformed. He did not 
i establish this truth in any other way, than 
i by enabling men to compare the ordinances 
* and precepls of the prevailing religion with 
'those of the immediate followers of Christ, 
^ which ought to be a rule of faith, and a mo- 
del for all ages ; and by placing them in a 
1 condition to oppose to the establishments 
' then subsisting in the church, those of the 
I primitive times, whose authors were the dis- 
^ ciples of Jesus. 



136 HALL£R^3 LETTERS 

LETTER XL 

The evidence of Christianity, though not of the nature of 
mathematical demonstration, sufficient to convince eve- 
ry candid mind. Sublime representation of the Su- 
preme Being Divinity of Jesus Christ asserted in op- 
position to Socinians. Mysteries no objection to Chris- 
tianity. This truth illustrated by several philosophi- 
cal observations. Observations on the word Person, 
improperly, in the author's judgment, applied to the 
Deity. Necessity of a divine Mediator and Instructor. 

I BELIEVE — nay, I know for a certaint}^ 
that Jesus was a just man ; that he wrought 
miracles ; and that he was really the per- 
son foretoki by the ancient prophets. We 
find in him all those characteristics which 
were to distinguish the mes'senger sent from 
God. It is but a mere evasion to assert, by 
way of justifying our iocredulity, that those 
trulhs, from whence we ought to derive our 
only consolation, are not mathematically 
demonstrated. The united testimony of so 
many witnesses, who were never suspected 
for a combination, and who never retracted 
what they had said ; the proofs which pre- 
ceded the coming of our Saviour ; those 
which accompanied it, and those which fol- 
lowed, 1 mean the miracles of the apostles, 
are so many concurrent testimonies of truth, 
that it is impossible thej^ should all have 
have met exactly at the same period, and 
formed, as it were, a mass of evidence, for 

DO other purpose but to give to falsehood 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 137 

the appearance of truth. No man, who 
speaks with sincerity, will entertain any 
doubt of the existence, the victories, or tlie 
murder of Julius Caesar. 

If then there are proofs sufficient for us 
to believe that Jesus was a teacher sent 
from God, we must necessarily believe all 
that he said. If he hath neither himself de- 
ceived the world, nor been the agent of any 
impostor, ought we not to conclude that his 
word is truth ? I am fully convinced, my 
daughter, of the absolute infinity of the Su- 
preme Being. Though our capacities are 
limited, we have a certain rule whereby to 
judge of the greatness of God, which is cir- 
cumscribed within no bounds. The uni- 
verse, of itself, immeasurable in its extent, 
where the laws of nature are infinitely pro- 
gressive, and not to be limited by human 
reason — this universe, in which are placed 
thousands of suns, more resplendent than 
this lower system, one of the smallest plan- 
ets of which we inhabit, where are placed 
millions of men and animals — this universe, 
I say, whether we consider it in a compre- 
hensive view, or analize but the minutest 
part of it, evidently displays a wise and al- 
n>ighty Being, the common creator of all 
things. The most perfect and ingenious 
performances of man, will not bear a com- 
M2 



138 HALLER's LETTERS 

parison with any of the works of God. His 
duration, also, will give us some faint idea of 
his infinite greatness. This duration is with- 
out beginnino; ; the same to-day as yester- 
day. It sur[)asses, it is true, our compre- 
hension ; we are finite beings, and therefore 
our existence had a beginning; so that we 
cannot conceive, in our minds, a Being who 
hath always existed. And when we ex- 
tend this idea to eternity, that is, a duration 
without end, it is an abyss where reason is 
lost and confounded. We see, however, in 
very intelligible characters, that God is the 
eternal and invariable Sun, placed as it 
were in the centre of this immense system^ 
to enlighten and support it. 

Men are apt to form too humiliating an 
idea of the great Governor of the world ; 
they represent him too much like them- 
selves, and confine his power to this small 
terrestrial spot. They have even circum- 
scribed his protection to one nation alone, 
amongst the many upon the face of this 
earth. The koovvledire I have of nature, 
has inspired me with other ideas of the om- 
nipotence and greatness of God, before whom 
our g:lobe is but as a grain of sand. On this 
account, when I speak of a man to whom 
the divine nature is united, 1 confess that 
this incomprehensible mystery astonishes 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 139 

me. Such a thought could not of itaelfhave 
entered into the mind ot man, neither could 
he have expected to see an infinite Being 
united with one that was finite. No mor- 
tal could have presumed to look for such an 
excess ol'goodness on the part of an infinite 
and eternal Being, if this mystery, which 
surpasses human imagination, had not been 
revealed. 

But he, who can neither lie noj? deceive^ 
hath expressly informed us, that Jesus ot* 
Nazareth was a man, the Son of David, 
horn of Mary, brought up as another man; 
subject to the infirmities of human nature, 
such as hunger, thirst, grief; that he sensi- 
bly felt the weight of his sufferings, that he 
was even affected by the anticipation of 
them; and that at last he concluded the 
course of his life by a shameful death. In 
his human state he acknowledged the supe- 
rior power of his father; he humbled him- 
self before him, and even invoked his name ; 
he represented himself as the way which 
was to conduct us to the father; he called 
himself the envoy and minister of his father ; 
and it was through his name that he per- 
formed miracles. 

We should betray the cause of truth, and 
act in repugnance to our own conscience, 
were we to assert, th:\t we couhl see nothing 



140 HALLER's LETTERS 

in Jesiis but a descendant of David, and a 
iiiere man. I am often astonished at the 
inconsistency with which we may charge a 
very numerous sect who admit of revelation, 
and yet deny the divinity of Christ. They 
seem to me to act with less candor and in- 
tegrity than those who reject it altogether; 
because, receiving as true the express testi- 
monies which have been given of the extra- 
ordinary qualities of Jesus, they believe, 
upon that principle, the truths which he 
has established. 

Christ spake of himself, in terms which 
evidently discovered a dignity more than 
human — " Before Abraham was, I am ; I 
" came down from heaven, where I dwelt 
*' with my father; I came from him; I re- 
*"* turn to him, where I was before, and 
" where he loved me from the foundation 
" of the world. I am the way, the truth, 
" and the life ; he that believeth on me, 
" hath everlasting life; the Father hath put 
" all things into my hands ; I will draw all 
*' men to me ; he is in me, and I in him. — 
*' He who hath seen me, hath seen the Pa- 
'' ther; I and ray father are one; all that 
" is his, is mine; I will send you the Com- 
^' forter from my father; all men shall ap- 
*' pear before the throne of my glory ; these 
" 1 will receive into everlasting felicity, 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. HI 

but those shall go away into everlasting 
'' darkness. Baptize ye in the name of the 
" Father and the son," — He, who was iar 
removed from all human vanity, who, in the 
time of his humility, would not accept of 
the epithet of good, because it belonged to 
God alone, and because he who addressed 
him did not acknowledge him for God — he, 
who had thus voluntarily humbled himself, 
suffered, without any reluctance, Thomas, 
one of his apostles, after he was convinced 
of the reality of his resurrection, to call him 
his Lord and his God His disciples wor- 
shipped him Avhen he ascended into heaven. 
And as he had said himself, that before the 
creation he was with God, so his beloved 
apostle, John, said, likewise, iAaf the word 
was pjith God, and the wordivas God. — Salu- 
tation, honor and glory to our God^ who is 
seated on the throne, and to the Lamb who 
was put to death for the sins of the world! 
All things, says St. Paul, 7vere made by him ; 
thrones and dominions are his workmanship. 

1 see no f^lternative ; if Jesus is true, and 
if he came from God, he is superior both to 
men and angels ; he, who is from all eterni- 
ty, is divine, adorable, and is united to God 
by the most intimate connexion. 

We cannot form any idea of this union of 
the Eternal Being with a mortal man, who. 



142 HALLER's LETTERS 

in this state, lived about three-and thirty 
years ; — but can we conceive, with more 
accuracy, the connection of the soul and bo- 
dy ? For we are composed of two substances. 
The one thinks, perceives, judges; though 
it is without parts and witliout extension ; 
the other, on the contrary, possesses these 
properties. These substances, so different, 
are, however, united. Every human crea- 
ture is formed, in part, of gross particles of 
earth : but quite contrary is the essence of 
my soul. I perceive the shock which my 
body receives, and I observe that it moves 
at the volition of the soul. This union is 
incomprehensible, but it is not the less real ; 
our own sensations confirm it daily. In 
like manner, there are things of a more im- 
portant nature, of which we have the same 
imperfect ideas. 

We cannot understand, for instance, the 
nature of motion ; how it passes from one 
body to another; how it leaves one to agi- 
tate another, without suffering any altera- 
tions in itself, or permitting us to discern 
w^hether it is any thing extended, corporeal, 
or that may be measured. Therefore, of 
all the objections proposed by unbelievers, 
there are none more contemptible than those 
which are drawn from the difficulty of com- 
prehending the manner in which things ex- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. I43 

ist ; or that which, in the language of the 
schools, is termed their essence. 

When Gotl commanded the laws of na- 
ture to suspend their operation; when he 
invested Jesus with a power of raising the 
dead, when he commissioned him to explaia 
this great mjslery — how the sins of men 
could be pardoned ; it was easy to foresee, 
and very reasooable to conjecture, that this 
divine messenger would inform us of many 
things, which are incomprehensible by the 
human mind, and which no language could 
clearly express or develope. When he 
talks of the properties and attributes of the 
Supreme Being, is there not as much cause 
for astonishment, as if he had spoken of 
things incomprehensible ? 

We find, however, no contradiction in 
these mysteries; and though we cannot un- 
derstand their manner, yet it is'not impossi- 
ble for us to see the fitness of the means for 
accomplishing the ends designed. In this 
point we cannot be deceived. 

God hath joined the soul to the body, the 
divine to the human nature ; a being indi- 
visible, simple, immeasurable, without ex- 
tent, without any corporeal property, to a 
body infinitely inferior to it: this is a truth 
of which we are absolutely convinced. — 
Though a disquisition of this naiure falls 



144 HALLER's LETTERS 

not within my present design, yet I have 
used the consideration only by way of ex- 
ample. 

That a Being, incorporeal and indivisi- 
ble, governs the world ; and that all motion 
is derived from him, though the operation 
is invisible, are truths universally believed: 
Why then may he not act upon spirits im- 
material and indivisible like himself? Why 
is it impossible that the Divine Attributes, 
such as wisdom, goodness, justice, the pow- 
er of working miracles, should be intimately 
united with a created spirit, and displayed 
in him, though after a particular manner ? 

I am no theologian, and therefore do not 
employ those terms of art which have been 
invented by the disputants on the incarna- 
tion of our Saviour, and the union of God 
w^ith Christ. 1 must, however, remark, that 
the word person is improperly used ; since 
it implies, as every one knows, a thing dif- 
ferent from every other thing, which thinks, 
wills, and acts for itself only. Now we can- 
not suppose any such distinction in the Di» 
vinity. I think, however, that the words of 
our Saviour himself oblige me to believe, 
and with a full acquiescence of faith, that 
Jesus ua? uot a simple man, nor even a 
mere a ng^^lic being; but that the Author 
and Creator of all thinss hath united him* 



TO HIS DAUCiHTER. 145 

self, in an inconiprthensible manner, to be- 
ings which are not pure spirits, to the hu- 
man soul or Christ, that in this soul were 
visibly manifested divine qualities and per- 
fections: and that this union of the Divine 
^vith human nature w as in Jesus so intinmte 
and perfect, that he both thought and acted 
as God thinks and acts — and that it was 
with justice, therefore, that Divine honors 
were paid him, and that he .vas called God. 

This mystery appears to me the less 
strange, as 1 clearly discern the reasons 
which induced the Supreme Being, who is 
infinitely merciful, to unite the Divine and 
the human nature. 

When we say that the Divinity, which 
so infinitely surpasses our conceptions, de- 
parts, on certain occasions, from the ordina- 
ry method of governing the universe; that 
it had wrought miracles ; that, out of many 
millions of human souls, it selected one ia 
order to be joined with it; I can conceive 
that some great advantages must result fiom 
such an extraordinary and unexampled ef- 
fusion of grace and beneficence ; and that 
the wisdom of God hath not adopted this 
plan without having some important ends 
in view. 

It was necessary that the person chosen 
rto execute this scheme should be of eminent 
N 



146 HALLER'8 LETTERS 

dignity, since he was to come into the Morld 
to reveal the truth — to persuade men of the 
certainty of another life, and a future judg- 
ment — to establish such a system of morali- 
ty as might sanctify us, render us accepta- 
ble to God, reform the human heart, incline 
us to despise the things of this world, or at 
least to hold them in no greater estimation 
than they deserve. Experience hath often 
demonstrated, and indeed the nature of 
things will not permit it to be otherwise, 
that a man subject to error and to sin, is 
not a fit instrument to succeed in an enter- 
prize of this kind. He who is polluted with 
vice deprives himself of all that authority 
and respect which is necessary to command 
the minds of others, and subjugate the hu- 
man passions. He who is obnoxious to er- 
ror may be mistaken in his endeavors to 
distinguish good from evil; he may err in 
his judgment of what is true and what is 
false, and may therefore ground his precepts 
on wrong principles; he may exact from 
those he instructs ho much or too little. A 
slave to nis senses, and to whatever flatters 
them, can he hope that his doctrine will 
gain much credit, when he recommends the 
pursuit of those things which are above, ra- 
ther than these which are on earth i* — those 
which are eternal, rather than these which 



TO HIS DAUGHTEB. 147 

are but Umporal; the preference of futurity 
to the present moment ? Or, when he de- 
scribes the purposes and attributes of God, 
will his discourses be much attended to? 
He might reason, I confess, and draw such 
inferences as reason would approve of; but 
his pieces would be imperfect, and his sys- 
tems deficient in the most essential part : 
upon so weak a foundation he would not es- 
tablish a religion capable of influencing our 
practice, or directing our conduct. 

It was not enough that Socrates professed 
so pure a morality ; or that the eloquent 
lEpictetus possessed all those talents which 
distinguished the Greeks from other nations. 
Those imperfections which are inseparable 
from human nature ; the defects which we 
' discover in Marcus Aurelius and in So- 
crates, whom we have already mentioned — • 
I the virtue of the former being principally 
' calculated to shine upon the stage, and the 
I mind of the other not being exempt from a 
I propensity to voluptuous pleasures — these 
; circumstances could not fail to deprive 
j their doctrine of that ascendency which it 
I ought to have had over the hearts of men. 
Epictetus was but a feeble light in the midst 
i of a few friends; he could not, like the sun, 
illuminate whole nations, cause the seeds 
of virtue to germinate, or infuse into them 



148 HALLER's LETTERS 

a vivifying principle. Confusius also want- 
ed a greater degree of fervency ; his doc- 
trine was capable of rendering the people 
obedient to the laws of emperors, but not to 
those ol God ; it might make them citizens, 
but not truly pious ; it might give to its 
disciples the appearance of virtue or wis- 
dom, but could not render them really 
good. 

To Jesus was committed the charge of 
reforming mankind, of impressing sentiments 
of duty upon whole natioos, and of render- 
ing those impressions permanent, in order 
to their attainment of eternal happiness. — 
This commission he hath executed; nei- 
ther was any other person qualified for so 
important an office. For eighteen centu- 
ries we have reap<^d the fruits of his coming 
into the world ; our nations of the Deity 
are more perfect than were those of the hea- 
thens ; we know what we ought to do to 
f)leasp him ; we have the firm assurance of 
a future life, and have received a system of 
morality pure and complete. 

'I'o accomplish this grand design, it was 
necessary that the Mediator should be ex- 
enipt from evil, nor should even be accus- 
ed of any; that he should have a perfect 
knowledge of the Divine Being, and of 
eternity ; and that in all difficult cases 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 149 

which might arise in the exercise of his im- 
portant commission, a wisdom free from er- 
ror, and incapable of being deceived, should 
dictate to him how he should speak, and 
should so direct him in all his actions, that 
he should neither fear the ingenious malice 
of men, nor the sarcastical so[)hisms of a Ju- 
liao; but should be able to defeat aU the 
efforts of Jewish obstinacy, nor should be in 
the least affected with the sa lyrical reflec- 
tions of incredulous men. The power o^ 
working miracles, which was either to be 
exercised or suspended according as circum- 
stances offered, ought not, by an effect of 
vanity so inseparable from the human heart, 
to be displayed, on the one hand, with too 
much pomp, or, on the other, with any ap- 
pearance of ambiguity, that the Jews might 
have no room to discover that malevolence 
so inherent in their nation. Such a Medi- 
ator mast not be liable to any surprize of 
the senses ; no criminal pleasure, no pas- 
sion of whatever kind, must tarnish the pu- 
rity of his conduct; he must be void of ev- 
ery inclination to anger; neither must the 
fear of death allay his zeal, or weaken his 
efforts to accomplish the glorious ends for 
Avliich he was to come into the world. 

In a word, such a Redeemer must be 
more than mere man ; because a man is al- 
N2 



150 HALLER's LETTERS 

ways exposed to error and to vice. But 
tlie Divinity with which Jesus was invest- 
ed rendered his wisdom complete ; banish- 
ed every passion ; directed his miraculous 
powers; spoke through him in a manner 
not to be imitated by all the eloquence of 
man ; conducted him constantly in a right 
course of action, without deviating from the 
great design which was the object of his 
heavenly mission. This Jesus, who from 
the beginning had been with God, who was 
come from God, was alone capable of re- 
vealing his counsels to men. He to whom 
the Father had committed all judgment, 
could alone inform men what the Divine 
Justice had prepared against the workers 
of iniquity. This union of God with Christ 
was doubtless a mark of goodness worthy of 
onr admiration, without which the coming 
of Jesus into the world had been of no ef- 
fect. 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. iSl 

LETTER XII. 

That Jesus Christ was a sacrifice for the satisfaction of 
Divine Justice, proved from the writings of the pro- 
phets ; from those of the Apostles ; and from the de- 
claration of our Saviour himself. Inconsistency of those 
who admit the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures, yet 
deny the doctrine of the satisfaction made for sin by 
Jesus Christ. 

THE embassy of Jesus Christ had other 
objects in view, more important still, if that 
be possible, than what we have already 
mentioned ; for the attainment ol* which it 
w^as not sufficient that he should be a mere 
man. 

The design he had formed was not only 
to instruct men in the truth, but principally 
to reconcile them to God, 1 have said, in 
a preceding letter, that the means of this 
reconciliation was a mystery which man- 
kind have endeavored in vain to discover ; 
which the greatest sages have examined 
■with much eagerness and assiduity, but 
which it has been impossible for man to un- 
ravel. 

All nations have had some confused ideas 
of it, some faint representation, which they 
had derived from a tradition that had been 
handed down from the first of men. They 
Ihousht that atonement might be made for 
sin by sacrifice, or by shedding the blood of 



1S2 HALLER^s LETTERS 

some animal. Moses, who was commis- 
sioned by God to institute a ceremonial wor- 
ship, as being best adapted to the genius of 
the people amongst whom he established it, 
because they were not susceptible of other 
impressions than those of the senses, retain- 
ed and sanctified these sacrifices. But. it 
was easy to perceive— God having very intel- 
ligibly explained himself upon this subject — 
that the bl#od of animals could not effect a 
reconciliation with him ; and that the sins 
which reigned in the corrupt hearts of men 
were not to be obliterated by such kind of 
fines or ransoms. The design of these ce- 
remonies was only to remind them of their 
subjection and dependence on that Sove- 
reign Being who was the dispenser of all 
temporal blessings — to inform them that 
they were sinners, and that they could ex- 
pect the pardon of their sins from his grace 
alone. 

In the mean time the means of reconcili- 
ation had been revealed by God, and that 
upon an early and important occasion^ when 
fallen man, conscious of guilt, stood trem- 
bling in the presence of his otfended Maker, 
We find some outlines of these means in the 
Psalms, which speak of a suffering Saviour; 
and those Psalms were more ancient than 
Homer, But Isaiah, who lived before the 



TO HIS DAUGHTER, lji5 

lime of Coufucius, the philosopher of Chi- 
na, hath clearly unfolded this mystery. I 
will not repeat the texts which have been 
already quoted, I will only cite a remarka- 
ble passage of this most eloquent of the 
prophets — *' He was wounded for our trans- 
" gressions, he was bruised for our ioiqui- 
" ties." 

" He is come who must execute all the 
'' promises of God ; he forewarned his dis- 
^' ciples that he must suffer, but that his 
" sufferings would be to their advantage ; 
^* and that he should voluntarily lay down 
** his life.* He died for men, and gave his 
" soul a ransom for many. He ordered his 
" disciples to solemnize the remembrance of 
" his death, which was to be observed in af- 
" ter ages, by the symbols of bread and wine; 
" the former, being broken, was to repre- 
*' sent his bod}^ offered to God for the saiva- 
" tion of men ; and that the latter was to 
*' signify, tlmt his blood was shed for the 
" pardon of slns.f He declared before his 
" death, that to drink his blood and to eat 
'* his flesh, were the indispensable means of 
" obtaining remission of sins.J He said, 

* Matt. xxii. 28. Johnv. 18. 
f Matt. xxvi. 16. 27. 

t Mark xiv. 22. et seq. Luke xxii, 11. 19. et seq. 1 
Cor. xi. 24. 



154 HALLER^S LETTERS 

" that he should lay down his life for his 
" sheep.* That greater love hath no maa 
" than this, that a man lay down his liCe for 
^' his friends ; that is, for those who keep 
" his commaudments.t That God so lov- 
" ed the world, that he gave his only begot- 
" ten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
*' should not perish, but have everlasting 
<' life."J 

After his resurrection, he said to his dis- 
ciples — " Ought not Christ," (i. e. accord- 
ing to the ancient prophecies) " to have 
"suffered these things, and to enter into 
" his glory."§ It is this point of doctrine 
that Philip the apostle explained to the 
chamberlain of Candace, queen of the Ethi- 
opians.jl 

The disciples of our Saviour were more 
explicit upon the sufferings of their Divine 
Master, and upon the happy consequences 
of them. John says,** " And he is the pro* 
" pitiation for our sins; and not for our sins 
" only, but also for the sins of the whole 
" world — He saw the Lamb which was 
" slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his 

* John X. 15. 
f John XV. 1 3. 
X John iii. 16. 
§ Luke xxiv. ii6. 

LActs viii. 30. 
1 Epist. ii. 2. 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 155 

" blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, 
" and people, and nation.* — Peter adored 
" the Deliverer, who hath borne our sins in 
" his body upon the cross, that we being 
" dead unto sin might live unto righteous- 
" ness ; by whose w^ounds we are healed." 

St. Paul, whose zeal much contributed to 
the progress of the gospel, describes, in a 
particular manner the advantages of this 
doctrine. '' Being justified freely by his 
"^ grace, through the redemption that is in 
" Jesus Christ, whom God hath set forth to 
*' be a propitiation, through faith in his 
*' blood, to declare his righteousoess for the 
" remission of sins." In another place he 
says, " But God commendeth his love to- 
" w ards us, in that, while we were yet sin- 
*' ners, Christ died for us. For if, when we 
" were enemies, we were reconciled to God 
" by the death of his Son, much more being 
" reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 
" He was delivered for our ofiPences, and 
" was raised again for our justification. — 
*' Christ died for us, according to the Scrip- 
'' tures. — One hath died for us, to the end 
" that we might all live for him w^ho died, 
" and is raised again, for us. — God hath been 
" reconciled to us in Jesus. — He, who knew 

* Apoc. V. 9. 



136 HALLER's LETTERS 

" no sin, was made sin for us, that we might 
" be made the righteousness of God in him. 
" Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of 
'' the law, being made a curse for us; for it 
"' is written — Cursed is every one that hang- 
"* eth on a tree, — In him, and by his blood, 
" we have the redemption and pardon of 
*' sins — Christ hath so loved us, as to give 
" himselt for us, an offering and a sacritice 
^' to God, for a sweet-smelling savour. He 
" gave himself a ransom for all, that he 
** might redeem us from all iniquity." 

These texts may serve as a foundation to 
a great number of others, in all which there 
is a frequent repetition of this great truth— 
*' This is life eternal, that they might know 
" the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom 
'' thou hast sent."*— ^' That there is no 
"' other name under heaven, which hath 
" been given to men, by which they can be 
'' saved." 

I would, therefore, my dear child, recom- 
mend to you, as a thin^ very necessary to 
read, without any prejudice, these expres- 
sions which I have extracted from the sa- 
cred writings ; and to consider what is their 
proper and literal sense. We are not yet 
arrived to so great a pitch of infidelity as 

* John xvii. 3. 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. Uf 

to der.y (he existence of a God ; every work 
of creation loudly confutes this hypothesis : 
but there are many who cannot digest the 
doctrine of a Saviour sufifering for mankind, 
the merits of whose death are imputed to 
them ; they love rather to distort the mean- 
ing of scripture, and to explain it contrary 
to the rules of sound criticism; they had 
rather reject the whole, than agree to the 
opinion that man stood in need of a ransom. 
We should have less reason to expostulate 
with these men than with the atheists, if it 
was not proved that the doctrines revealed 
are the word of God and of truth. But to 
acknowledge the divine origin of the Chris- 
tian religion, and refuse to believe that Je- 
sus died for u?, and that he hath reconciled 
us to God, is an inexcusable contradiction, 
as well of itself, as of the truth which is ad- 
mitted. It v,'as not possible to express in 
terms more clear than revelation hath ex- 
pressed them, these important doctrines — 
That men, by their sins, had forfeited the 
favor of God; but that God, out of his infi- 
nite love, had promised them, by his pro- 
phets, that he would send his only Son into 
the world ; that he accordingly came at the 
appointed time, and, in conformity to the 
prophecies, suffered and was put to deMth; 
that his sufferings have satisfied the Divine 
O 



153 HALLER^s LETTERS 

justice ; that he hath purchased the pardtm 
of sins to all those who believe in him, and 
hath rendered them capable of inheriting 
eternal life; and, lastly, that there is no 
other way to appease the jostice of God, 
than by faith in his Son. 1 have hc^re only 
described this doctrine as we find it in the 
Scriptures; I have not yet attempted to 
prove the truth of it. — I have observed, and 
with concern, that Christians, when speak- 
ing of these matters, have often emploj^ed 
very unbecoming expressions, such as, God 
is born^ God is dead; they seem, indeed, 
jastifiable; but, at first sight, convey to the 
mind an idea at which it revolts; because 
the Supreme Being is necessarily eternal 
antl infinite, never ceased to be, and there- 
fore was not born in time; much less could 
he be subject to sufferings, to sorrow, or to 
death. Jesus, indeed, hath sutfered; he 
hath endured inexpressible sorrows ; his 
will, though absolutely resigned to that of 
Ins Father, could not, however, withstand 
the feelings of human nature, insomuch that 
he prayed to his Father that the bitter cup 
might pass from him. The extreme an- 
guish ofhis soul caused drops of blood to fall 
from his eyes ; and so much was he depress- 
i*d, that he had required the consolations of 
an angel. None but created beings are sus- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 15» 

cepJible of pain ; but we apply the common 
modes of speech to objects of an incorpore* 
al nature, without perceiving the abuse of 
them. No man w ho knows God, that is, 
who has suitable ideas of his nature, will 
assert that he has sufiered. 

But this is not the only difficult3^ Mod- 
ern philosophers will not acknowledge that 
mankind could be so corrupt as to excite in 
the Deity any desire of punishing them* — 
They will not allow, that one being could 
be condemned to suffer for another ; or that 
the righteousness of a just man could be of 
any avail to a sinner. But they do not 
consider that the Divine justice required a 
sacrifice which was necessary to effect a 
reconciliation with God. This denial of 
the necessity of the merits of Christ's suf- 
ferings is an opinion very prevalent at pre- 
sent, and w^hich threatens the total ruin of 
Christianity. For to give up this essential 
doctrine of the necessity of a satisfaction, 
what is it but to renounce our faith in Je*- 
sus Christ, who died for our sins, and rose 
j again for our justification ? At present, I 
i am arguing with such persons as believe in 
divine revelation. As to those who do not, 
I I have already, if I am not mistaken, evinc- 
\ ed, that the Scriptures are indeed the word 
of God, by proofs and arguments sufficient 



160 HALLER'8 LETTERS 

to impress every unprejudiced and candid 
mind with the iullest conviction. AVith 
regard to those vv ho are persuaded that the 
Scriptures are the word ol God, 1 flatter 
myseh that it will be no difficult matter to 
bring the question in dispute to a short is- 
sue. — Tlie scripture is true — the suffering's 
ol Christ, or the merits which we ascribe to 
them, are so clearly taught, that they ap- 
pear to be the grand design, or the very spi- 
rit, as it were, of this scheme of redemp- 
tion ; which truth, if you admit, you must 
then acknowledge the merit of the suffer- 
ings or the death of Christ. They certain- 
ly do not act with candour and sincerity 
who attack some certain truth which forms 
a part of a body of doctrine that we admit 
to be true and unexceptionable. Can we 
esteem the integrity of those, who having 
embraced, as holy and divine, a complete 
fiystem of doctrine, permit themselves af- 
terwards to reject openly or secretly, the 
most essential parts, as contrary to sound 
reason ? 

Truth fears not the severest examination. 
1 will, therelbre, offer those reasons which 
induced me to consider the scheme of re- 
demption, not only as a revealed truth, but 
as a reasonable doctrine, and consonant to 
the ideas which I have of the justice and 
goodness of God. 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. I6l 

I will not, however, go so far as to say, 
that this nianiK r ol' punishing and of pardon- 
ing was the oiiiy possible way which God, 
in his infinite wisdom, couhl adopt. God 
is Lord of many thousand worhis, w^hich, 
reasoning from analogy, may he inhabited 
by other thinking beings. We know that 
there are beings superior to man, amongst 
whom sin hath introduced itself; and that 
this superior order of intelligences is em- 
ployed by God as his instruments in the go- 
vernment of the world. In what manner 
does he there punish faults ? Or how does 
he reclaim delinquents if they offend ? Here 
I have not even a conjecture to oflfer. — The 
only example we have in scripture of the 
punishment of ani^els, gives us room to con- 
clude, that Go:l hath employed quite differ- 
ent means, in order to demonstrate the ha- 
tred which he hath to evil. We are there 
informed, that those superior beings, actu- 
s\iei\ by nialice and envy, revolted against 
God, and were therefore punished with great 
severity. It is sufficient for us to know 
what \h OUT duty towards God, and what is 
hh manner of proceeding in regard to us. 



O 



m-Z HALLER's LETTERS 

LETTER XIII. 

Depravity of human nature. Divine wisdom and goo'!- 
ness in recovering mankind from a state of sin and mis- 
ery. Of the duration of tliat punishment which follows 
vice, as its natural or judicial consequence in any folder 
of intelligent beings. The conduct of Divine Grace 
justified in tlie eye of reason. General sketch of the 
Christian religion. Its suitableness to the condition 
of sinful and wretched men. Its visible effects on the 
least cultivated minds; and in the lower ranks of life. 
Desperate folly of rejecting a revelation from God, be- 
cause we cannot raise our minds to a conception of all 
the Divine ideas, nor comprehend every part of the 
plan of redemption. 

THE object which I have had in view, 
In the preceding part oi* this work, and that 
to which I have confined myself, has been 
to shew that human nature is in a state of 
the deepest depravity and corruption ; that 
God cannot look upon sin but with abhor- 
rence and indignation ; that he regards it 
^ as an object utterly unworthy of his coun- 
tenance and favor ; that he considers vice 
as a thing which is subversive of the good 
order of the world; that it became the 
righteous Governor of the universe to stig- 
matize and to punish it by certain visible 
marks of his displeasure : but (hat, on the 
other hand, virtue is to the Supreme Being 
an object of complacency and delight. — 
These things, then, 1 shall take for granted ; 
nor shall 1 add or repeat any thiog in order 
to support their truth or justice. 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 163 

An universal degeneracy had overspread 
ib-e world; that reverence and worship 
ivhich ilependent creatures owe to the Au- 
thor and Preserver of their being, had va- 
uished from hearts enslaved by every guilty 
passion and impure desire. Eternity was 
forgotten: the threatening aspect of this 
tkeadfu! object no longer disturbed the re- 
pose of mortals; every action of man was 
an in fringe meut of the laws of God. And 
though the sins of men could not disturb 
the felicity of the Divine Nature, which is 
infinitely above tiie reach of human malig- 
nity ; yet they were a direct violation of the 
Divine laws — laws founded in the very na- 
ture of things, and which fix the merit or 
flemerit of every action and every thought 
with unerring justice. 

The greatest part of mankind were re- 
duced to such a state, that the purity and 
holiness of God could not but disapprove 
their actions, and render them undeserving 
the Divine favour. — Had it been better for 
God to have abandoned them entirely to 
the evil consequences of their vicious idcli- 
iiations, and totall}^ have withdrawn his pa- 
tronage ? The Divine Goodness judged o- 
therwise^ he made a trial of 1 his desolate and 
abandoned condition in beings of a superior 
order — in intelligences more perfect : who, 



164 HALLER's LETTERS 

though immaterial, and therefore not de- 
pendent on the body, or subject to the sens^ 
es, withdrew their obedience from him^ 
though they were not under any invincible 
necessity of yiehling to temptation. 

God had a paternal tenderness for man ; 
but how was he to deliver him ? To suffec 
so great depravity to remain unpunished, 
would have been acting in repugnance ta 
the Divine Nature, to which the love of 
good is essential, and, on the contrary, the 
disapprobation of evil. But the indignation 
of God is hell: and if he had permitted a 
guilty world to continue in the commission 
of crimes; if he had abandoned sinful mert 
here below, and to all eternity, to this mi- 
serable condition, without discovering hi» 
hatred of sin, he had been no longer Judge 
of the world : his reasonable creatures would 
have had no recompense to hope for, from 
their attachment to virtue; and no punish- 
ment to fear from their indulgence in vice ; 
they would have lost all respect for that 
justice which is essential to his nature, noi* 
have submitted to those laws whose viola- 
tion was attended with no prejudice. All 
order would have been confounded; and 
the natural connexion that there is betwixt 
the good actions of intelliijent beings and 
happiness, betwixt their bad ones and un- 
liappiness,, would have been dissolved. 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 165 

But do men always become better by 
chastisements ? Do these compel them to be 
good ? Let us reflect on the coodition otthe 
fallen angels; we have no reason to think 
that their punishment, the natural effect of 
their malice, hath wrought any change in 
their tempers. And when we take a view 
of those men who have groaned under the 
iveight of God's displeasure, we shall find 
that his chastisements have seldom made any 
durable impressions, or produced any re- 
formation of the will : and if we extend our 
researches to Christians, who enjoy the 
comfortable hope of a Deliverer, we may 
observe that malefactors, during their cap- 
tivity, have very rarely made atonement 
for the crimes which they had committed 
against society, but have rather been the 
more confirmed in their wickedness : des- 
pair has often increased their malice. — 
Sickness, accompanied with pious exhorta- 
tions, have sometimes produced virtuous re- 
solutions ; but they have vanished as soon 
as the patient has been restored to his health. 

Punishments, it has been said, ought not 
to be eternal ; because they must tend to 
the reformation of men. But will the pun- 
ishments of a limited time, as a few years 
for instance, or even for ages, produce in 
man an eternal obedience ; since, in com- 



168 HALLER's LETTERS 

parison of eternity, any duration which we 
may assign to these pains, will be but infi* 
nitely short ? Would that impatience, that 
murmuring,that restlessness under the judg- 
ments of God, which these limited suffer- 
ings produce, be removed by new afflictions? 
and, from this mode of reasoning, would 
there not be required a prolongation of chas*- 
tisements ? The knowledge which we have 
of the human heart will not permit us to 
hope that, through the means ot punishment, 
vice will be changed into virtue. And 
God, who perfectly knows us, knows also 
that this limited punishment must in the 
end terminate in that which is eternal. 

In answer to this it hath been said — May 
not the grace of God act immediately upon 
the depraved and uninformed mind, to en- 
lighten and to sanctify it ; to inspire it with 
wisdom and virtue, and transform it into a 
new creature ? But, according to this opin- 
ion, no satisfaction will be made to the Di- 
vine justice. Intelligent beings, after hav- 
ing transgressed the laws of their sovereign 
Master, would obtain the greatest rewards 
without feeling the least effect of the indig- 
nation of God, or, in other words, of his ab- 
horrence of evil. Besides, the inseparable 
connection which there is betwixt bad ac- 
tions and the natural consequences of the 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 1(» 

disapprobation of God, would be broken.-- ^ 
God treats us as reasonable beings, endow- 
ed with the liberty of acting : his grace fur- 
nishes us with means which are compatible 
with this free will ; as, exhortations, coun- 
sels, and powerful incentives ; but, at the 
same time, hath left us the power of resist- 
ance. Without this liberty we should be 
absurd and contradictory beings, having 
the faculty of reasoning, but cootrouled by 
the influence of some exterior agent, which 
would impose as unavoidable a restraint up- 
on our wills, as if we were wholly destitute 
of the exalted faculties of liberty and under- 
standing. Our actions would not be our 
own; besides, there must be this alterna- 
tive — either man would t)e a mere machine, 
wholly directed by some supernatural im- 
pressions, without the power of acting; or 
ehe there would remain in the hearts of 
men, even those improved Oy grace, a num- 
ber of imperfections which could not render 
us accepta'^jle to God, or exempt us from 
punishment, 'J'he Deity does not act like 
the kings of the earth, who pardon many 
errors, and even crimes — who can esteem 
subjects which are useful to them; whom 
they can also recompense, i hough, in some 
respects, they are reprehensible; because 
they perceive that there h no person, how- 



168 ' HALLER's LETTERS 

ever capable of serving and pleasing them, 
that is absolutely exempt f>om laults.— 
They raise to houor and preferment those 
in whom good qualities predominate over 
bad,Hnd who have faithfully acquitted them- 
selves of the employments in which they 
were entrusted. In God, all is order, and 
that in the greatest perfection : his weights 
and his measures are therefore perfect. No 
evil thought that enters into the heart of 
man — no criminal desire can there meet 
wilh indulgence. In proportion to their 
turpitude, God will regard them with disap- 
probation and abhorrence. He weighs all 
transgressions in the scale of equity ; he en- 
ters them in the books, which will be open- 
ed at the great day of accounts : and if 
they are inscribed in the register of human 
iniquities, they will also be found in the 
book of punishments, which are destined to 
every man according to his works. The 
best of men, by reason of their imperfection.s, 
will be, by turns, the objects of God's favor 
and displeasure — will be alternately obnox- 
ious to [)unishment, and in a condition 
which will entitle them to reward. 

In the times in which we live I may be 
Ihoujjht, perhaps, too severe; but 1 speak 
from the authority of scripture. Man, ia 
this life, cannot attain to perfect virtue, even 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. Ifift 

Hiough God should condescend to direct 
him by his grace. The justice of mortals 
is far from being immaculate; this imper- 
fection may, perhaps, be a preservative 
from greater evil. Many of the sins to 
"Nvhich we are subject remain buried with 
us in the grave. The love of voluptuous- 
ness follows us not to eternity, any more 
than avarice. The first of these vices has 
no means of gratification when (he soul is 
separated from the body, which was so ne- 
cessary to the enjoyment of this kind of sa- 
tisfaction ; the other will be deprived of its 
object in a place Avhere the metal it w^as so 
fo!i(l of amassing will not be found. — But 
there is anoher vice much more odious, 
which hath a powerful influence over the 
soul, and w hich may follow it into the world 
of spirits. This vice infected the seraphims, 
and was productive of much vexation in the 
habitations of the just. The vice I mean 
is pride. Human virtue, imperfect as it is, 
is often tarnished with this fault — a fault 
more odious to God than any other, and 
which may even render us unhappy in hea- 
ven itself. Pride is that internal satisfac- 
tion, or that complacency, with which we 
consider our own perfections. It presumes 
to call God to an account, and prevents us 
Irom acknowledging our obligations to hioi. 
P 



170 HALLER's LETTERS 

We may observe in the works of Seneca^. 
the pride with which the men of that age, 
because of some virtues that rendered them 
beneficial to their country, exalted them- 
selves above the Divine Nature : and even 
amongst true Christians, in that church 
which calls itself the reformed, this vice 
hath blended itself with their virtues. 

Are not the imperfections of men the 
most efifectual, though, at the same time, 
the most mortifying means of repressing 
this pride ? God would not remove from St. 
Paul every moral defect, though this apos- 
tle so often requested it by earnest prayer : 
it was necessary for him to be imperfect, 
that he might perceive how much he stood 
in need of grace. It is, indeed, impossible 
that man should of himself attain to a de- 
gree of rectitude absolutely free from fault. 
And God, perhaps, may design by this to 
cherish in the hearts of men sentiments of 
humility. This faultless perfection will 
never be confirmed by the seal of God, till 
they have been justified at the great judg- 
ment, and shall enjoy the ineffable light of 
God's presence, before whom there is no 
darkness. 

The sufferings of a Mediator was another 
of the means chosen l)y God of recorjciling 
us to himself: this should likewise create 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 171 

in U3 an huinble disposition. God was in- 
clined to save mankind, not from the right- 
eousness of man himself, or from any merit 
of his own, but only through the redemption 
which is in Christ. It is by faith that he is 
justified, and not by the accomplishment of 
the law. This is the invariable doctrine of 
revelation, as preached both by 8t. Paul 
and by our Saviour himself. — *' Without me 
" ye can do nothing. — This is life eternaf, 
" that they believe in him whom God hath 
** sent. Man, justified by the grace whicii 
" is in another, hath no cause for pride or 
« vanity." 

The plan of redemption adopted by God 
is perfectly consonant to the inclinations 
most prevalent in the heart of man. It op- 
erates both on his hopes and fears; without 
hope, malice would carry itself to the last 
extremities ; without fear, the passions would 
know no bounds. Fear is excited by the 
severity with which the Mediator of men 
hath felt the effects of the hatred that God 
hath for sin. It has been already mention- 
ed, and 1 take this opportunity of repeating 
it — that Jesus in the last hours of his life— 
in that dreadful night which he passed in 
the Mount of Olives — sunk under the weight 
of the indignation which God hath to sin; 
his soul was sorrowful even unto death ; in 



172 HALLER's LETTERS 

the midst of the pains which he suffered up^- 
on the cross, he complained that God had 
forsaken him. What then must be those 
sufferings which could make such an im- 
pression upon a soul like our Saviour's; who, 
knowing beforehand ail that he must suffer, 
did not voluntarily expose himself to it ? 

These terrible effects of the hatred of 
God to sin, must justify the Divine purity 
in the eyes of all intelligent beings ; 
they sufficiently prove the abhorrence of 
the just Judge of the universe, of evil, and 
that he could not pardon the sinner without 
chastisement. This proceeding was like- 
wise necessary to reconcile the rights of 
justice with those of mercy — that the one 
might be satisfied without prejudice to the 
other. The minds of men must be seized 
with a rational fear, when they perceivfe 
that the punishment of their faults was in- 
evitable, and that it fell with so great vio- 
lence upon him who had devoted himself a 
sacrifice for them — ^who, though fortified by 
the divinity that was within him, felt never- 
theless, so great inquietude for the sins of 
others. Must they not tremble to fall into 
the hands of the living God, who, in re- 
spect to sin, is a fire which devours and 
consumes, and wim spared not the sins of 
men in the person of his beloved Soji ? 



TO HIS DxVUGPITER. te 

And indeed, since the reconciliation 
which hath been established between God 
and sinful man, the impression that the suf- 
ferings of our Saviour must naturally make 
on our minds, continues to display the effi- 
cacy of them. But yet, without faith and 
obedience, we cannot enjoy that pardon 
which is the fruit of the satisfaction made 
to the justice of God. When we are remiss 
in the performance of these conditions — 
when we neglect to appropriate to ourselves 
the promised pardon, by an active and ope- 
rating faith ; when, by a fresh revolt, we 
act in opposition to those eternal laws which 
not only prohibit vice, but which require the 
practice of virtue, we lose all pretensions to 
the redemption which Jesus hath acquired 
for us, and we again incur the indignation ot 
God, whose severity is so apparent in the 
sufferings of Christ. 

But the effect of this fear is rendered still 
more efficacious by the hopes which the 
same object creates in our soul ; God is ap- 
peased ; he considers sin as blotted out ; 
his grace displays in us those happy influ- 
ences which tdl those experience who do 
not voluntarih reject them. The Saviour 
himself, who hath discharged our debt, and 
paid our ransom, promises us his assistance. 
He is gone up into heaven, where he ha? 
P 2 



174 HALLER^s LETTERS 

prepared mansions for (hose that follow 
him. The designs of God towards us have 
been revealed ; the way which will con- 
duct us to happiness is known ; conditions 
have bten proposed, and the means of con- 
forming ourselves to the ordinances of God 
have been communicated. This is that 
conformity which will render us acceptable 
to him ; and his lavor is true happiness. 

We know the importance of eternity ; we 
are well convinced, from the indubitable 
testimony of him who ha(h been sent to us 
from the eternity where he dwelt, that we 
are called to life everlasting ; and that un- 
changeable happiness will be the rewards 
of those who are faithful in this short space 
of probation. 

We are not ignorant of the strict justice 
of God, from the sorrowful instance of our 
Mediator who suffered for us ; the condition 
of men who displease him will be miserable, 
as it will be glorious to those who are ob- 
jects of his grace; this is a truth which no 
reasojiable man will doubt. Two ways 
are open before us; the one, though morti- 
fying to our senses, will nevertheless become 
more agreeable through his grace, and will 
in the em\ conduct to unalterable felicity : 
— the other, though it may gratify our in- 
eliuations for a short time, will at last plunge 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 175 

ws into an abyss of endless wretcliedness. 
There are no persons so well instructed in 
the motives Tor an holy life as the professors 
of Christianity. They are perfectly known 
even to persons of a common understanding; 
and in comparison of the certainty of their 
persuasion, the conjectures and reasonings 
of the ancient philoso|>hers were like shad- 
ows which were too transient and ineffica- 
cious to make any impressions. Every 
Christian can consult the Oracles of revela- 
tion, and hy the favor of tins divine light, 
can penetrate into those my fl cries which 
were unknown to the world before the co- 
ming of the Mediator sent by God. A- 
niongst the most illiterate, those who are 
constantly occupied by manual labor in pro- 
vidin2; for their daily wants : we may, ne- 
verlbeless, discover some sentiments of reli- 
gion, not unmixed with zeal : am! also a 
contentment both in life and in death, which 
is unknown to those whose hearts are not 
illuminated by the light of the doctrine of 
Christ. 

This world is only a place of trial, where 
the weakness of man is strengthened by the 
power of fi^race communicated I y God. Be- 
, fore the coming of our Saviour, men were 
bewildered in error ; v « re b(i astray by thi» 
iriol^uce of their pas?ions, and w auder^^d 



1T6 HALLER's LETTERS 

about like lost sheep. But when the great 
sherjherd appeared, he called together the 
gc tiered tlock — he went before them, and 
conducted ihem into the way which leads 
to heaven : his country is ours ; he has paid 
for us those debts which we were not able 
to dischar£:e ; we are born again ; the re- 
establishment of our primitive innocence be- 
gins wi(b this new life. 

The justice of God is satisfied by the suf- 
ferings of our Redeemer ; grace bath es- 
tablished its empire over man, who is now 
reconcik'd. These, according to my ideas^ 
are the great motives which have engaged 
the Master and Judge of the universe to 
give us a Redeemer, to the end that be might 
make our peace by liis sufierings. I may 
possibly he mistaken in some of my conjec- 
tures ; it is very ditncult for mortals to judge 
rightly of divine thinsrs ; these are, how- 
ever, incontestible truths, that it hath pleas- 
ed God to send into the world, at the time 
appointed, the Mediator which he had pro- 
mised and announced by the prophets ; to 
whom the divinity was united in an Incom- 
prehensible manner ; and who, during: the 
time he sojourned upon earth, not only in- 
structed men in the truth, but also commu- 
nicated the charitable <les5tnis of God con- 
cerning our salvation — that his justice hath 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 177 

b^en satisfied by the voluntary sufferings of 
the baviour ; and that he halh opened a 
way to the throne of grace, where we may 
be received as unpolluted beings. 

This is a short view of revelation. From 
what has been said, it is easy to perceive 
that it was necessary for us to have for a 
mediator, or for a propitiator, (lor so the 
scripture calls hira,) some person who was 
iioly, innocent and without fault. A sinful 
man might have suffered for himself only; 
though 1 see no reason to believe that his 
sufferings would have been sufficient even 
for himself but it is without a doubt, that 
they could have made atonement Jor the 
sinsof anolher, because he wouUl hin^self 
have been an object of the indignation of 
God ; there would have been wanting some 
other means, foreign to himself, to have pro- 
cured his own pardon. 

But the wisdom and goodness of God hath 
executed what was beyond the atnlities of 
man. The Divinity, which dwelt in the 
person of the Mediator, hath highly exalted 
him ; the succours which it afforded ren- 
<lered him absolutely just and incapable of 
sin; the voluntary sacrifice which r.e hath 
offered for the sins of the W'orld was free 
from all blemish, and hath been accepted 
by the perfect justice of God ; who in the 



178 HALLER^s LETTERS 

person of him whose innocence was imma'* 
culate, hath fully dicovered what are the 
wages of sin, and that his eyes are too pure 
to behold iniquity. Without this instance 
of benevolence in God, it had been impos- 
sible for his sinful creatures to have escaped 
the punishment they had incurred; but the 
demands of his justice, which sees every ac- 
tion in its true light, have been fully satis- 
lied ; he hath accepted the sufferings of 
a Mediator, whom he hath dignified by an 
-union with himself as a satisfaction which 
it was not in the power of man to make. 

I shall not, in this place, examine the 
great variety of objections which have 
been offered by those who refuse to acknow- 
ledge the necessity of a Mediator, and who 
pretend that we cannot be justified by the 
righteousness of another. I see in part the 
reasons which induced the Supreme Being 
to accept of a vicarious sacrifice, and also 
the great advantages which result from this 
plan of reconciliation. But though we 
should not clearly discern those things, yet 
we ought not to be too hasty in judging of 
the designs of God by our ideas, or by our 
manner of thinking. 

It appears then that we are too apt to con- 
found things which are very different from 
each other. A sinner cannoif be acceptable to 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 179 

God ; neither can he procure his approba- 
tion, on account of the death ot a Mediator, 
as long as he continues in sin. The immedi- 
ate efiect of this death consists in rendering 
a man, though sinful, capable of rec^eiving 
the Divine favor, when, by using the means 
which are furnished by grace, he renoun- 
ces the slavery of sin to serve and obey 
God; the infirmities, which are inseparable 
from human nature, will no longer be im- 
puted to him. By this plan of redemption, 
man is reformed ; a renovation of life suc- 
ceeds ; and he is[)laced in such a state that 
the Divine compasssion may receive him 
into grace and favor. 



130 HALLER^s LETTERS 

LETTER XIV. 

Recapitulation, with some further illustration"-, of thf; 
foregoing remarks and reasoninoj. Peroration j and 
exhortation of the author to his daughter. 

LET us, then, my tlaiighter, embrace 
with gratitude this general pardon ; let us 
oiler our tribute of [)raise to him who, out 
oi* his infinite love, lound out a ransom for 
us ; let us with confidence, walk in that 
Wdy in which Christ hath gone before us ; 
let us endure with cheerfulness the transient 
sufferings of this life, nor view with horror 
the approaches of another. The consola- 
tion which must support us in life and death 
is now ibund ; by the help of this, we can, 
without fear, and in perfect tranquillity of 
mind, contemplate the progressive advan- 
ces of our dissolution, and boldly enter into 
eternity. 

We perceive our depravity, and, if w^e 
would speak ingenuously, we must confess 
that we are slaves to our wills, and that it is 
With reluctance we submit our conduct to 
the divine precepts of the Christian reli- 
gion. The inclinations of the flesh are 
strong and vigorous ; they attach us to the 
present life — they acfjiiire a domination o- 
verallour faculties, and banish from the 
will every thought of futurity. The love ^ 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 181 

oFour Saviour, who redeemed us, is cold 
and languid ; and we have but a servile 
fear ol God, who, in our imagination, is too 
holy. These sentiments are deeply rooted 
in the dark recesses of our hearts : every 
thing conspires to remind us of our weak- 
ness, and to conviaee us that humility is a 
disposition which becomes, in the highest 
degree, creatures so corrupt and imperfect. 
These are disagreeable truths ; and the 
confession of w hich we are obliged to make 
of them must be very mortifying to human 
pride ; but it is useful and salutary to pre- 
sent them to the mind. When we reflect, 
on the one hand, upon our incapacity of de- 
livering ourselves from this corruption ; and 
when we consider, on the other, the great- 
ness and purity of our Judge who must be 
displeased at our depraved condition, and 
whose displeasure is the worst of evils ; 
when, I say, we reflect on these things, 
they must sink us into despair. But God 
hath manifested his charitable designs to- 
wards us ; he hath given us the greatest and 
the noblest hopes. We have it in our pow- 
er to be for ever happy ; and though this 
corruption will always adhere to us, and is 
never radically removed, yet it will be no 
obstacle to our felicit3^ The Divine Good- 
ness bath accepted a satisfaction for these 

H 



182 HALLER^s LETTERS 

imperfections, which are inherent in our 
nature. 

I shall not here take notice of those ab- 
struse questions which have been Sitarted 
about the liberty of rnan r it is an irapeue- 
trabie mystery. The philosophers of our 
clays think they have good reasons for ban- 
ishing all liberty from the world. *' We 
are governed by necessity," they say ; " all 
" the resolutions which we form, or all the 
" actions of our will, have their cause in 
" something which happened the preceding 
" moment.''^ — But the internal conviction 
of my own mind rejects these subtleties ; I 
perceive in myself a self-determining pow- 
er; I observe, that if we in a great measure 
depend upon our senses, and upon the pas- 
sions which they exite, it is not, however, 
impossible for us to resist them. 1 speak 
from experience ; none of the passions are 
unconquerable ; the idea of an immense 
God, who is always present with us, and 
the recourse we may have to him by pray- 
er, are sufficient means to bring them into 
subjection. We Imve the power of remo- 
ving from our minds the thoughts of eterni- 
ty, if disagreeable to us • we have also the 
power of reflecting upon its importance : 
the capacity which we have of becoming 
virtuous consists in our choice of giving or 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. iSa 

refusing our attention, to whatever agrees 
or disagrees with our favorite pursuits. 

Let U3 employ the time present ; eterni- 
ty will be our reward if we make a good 
use of it. Let us always have before our 
eyes the nature and consequence of sin ; let 
us remember that it will deprive us of the 
favor of God, and expose us to his indigna- 
tion. Let us refiect on the value of eterni- 
ty, and on that life and that immortality 
which Christ hath brought to light by the 
gospel. The smallest satisfactions of this 
present short life, which are but puerile a- 
rausements, must disappear, when placed in 
competition with the greatness aud durabil- 
ity of the glory which is hereafter. 

Let us never forget that we were born 
for eternity, aud that an affair of so great 
importance should be the principal occupa- 
tion of our lives. 

Let us follow the light that will conduct 
us thither— -the precepts of our Savior plain- 
ly point out the way. How insensible then 
must we be to suffer ourselves to be direct- 
ed by any olher ? 

We acknowledge the corruption of our 
nature; we confess that it terminates in 
death : we are persuaded that Jesus hath 
the words of eternal life. Let us then stu- 
Oy them with attention, apply them with 



m KALLER's LETTERS 

sincerity to ourselves; continually inciil- 
cate them on our minds, and seek the assist- 
ance of that light, which was brought from 
heaven to earth. 

We are ignorant of a great number of 
tilings. We know not, in particular, the 
operations of the grace of God, nor how it 
enlightens the mind. No person can sin- 
cerely devote himself to the Supreme Be- 
ing without perceiving the emotions of his 
grace.— ."If a man keep my command- 
" ments," says our Saviour, " he will per- 
^\ ceive that I am come from God." — It is 
the influence of his grace which excites in 
us good desires ; which represents to us our 
own un worthiness, and which animates our 
souls with an ardent desire of procuring the 
favor of God. These are sentiments which 
every wise and rational man is capable of 
experiencing. 

I am well persuaded that we have in this 
grace a powerful fuccour to liberate us from 
sin, and make us aspire after that condition 
which is more worthy of man. 

I must confess that the manner of the 
co-X)peration of grace is an inexplicable 
mystery ; it is, however, a revealed truth. — 
The mode of its acting is too obscure for us 
to comprehend. We know not the laws of 
the actions of spirits. We know not the 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 185 

manner by which one body moves another. 
How then shall we discern the method by 
which one spirit acts upon another spirit ? 
Perhaps, if we too clearly perceived the op- 
eration of grace upon our minds, it might be 
an obstacle to the excercise of our liberty. 
— The advice of our Saviour is a sufficient 
direction to us in this matter. — " Search 
^he scriptures — believe in me — keep my 
* commandments, forthey are easy." — God 
will do the rest. These commandments 
Will be easy to us, when once we are con- 
vinced of the importance of eternity ; for 
what can the present life offer which can 
be compared with what we may either hope 
for, or fear, during thi« eternity ? 

We are restored from the lowest state of 
abasement and dejection. We are anima- 
ted with the most comfortable promises.-*- 
We now walk with confidence in that road 
which hath been marked out for us with so 
m ich wisdom ; and which so well corres- 
ponds with our inclinations and abilities. — 
We leave behind us those vices which ten^ 
ded to estrange us from God and happiness ; 
before us is a benevolent Being, who offers, 
to the victorious, incorruptible crowns, as 
the recompense of victory ; which victory 
he also helps us to gain. We may now rest 
sati&fied with respect to our future condi- 
Q2 



186 HALLER's LETTERS 

tion, wsthout perplexing ourselves about 
the trials which we shall have to undergo, 
and which are yet at a distance. Let us 
only employ to advantage the present hour. 
The means of salvation, the sacred writings, 
the precepts of our Saviour,are in our hands, 
we insensibly draw near to the desired har- 
bour ; the approaches of dissolution become 
less formidable the nearer we arrive to the 
happy mansions of eternity, where error 
and vice will be disarmed, and have no 
more power over us. 

Those persons who have been so happily 
situated as to be able to devote a great part 
of their time to the study of these most im- 
portant of all truths, and to make it the 
principal employment of their lives, will be 
better qualified to exhibit them to your view 
in a more affecting manner, and so as to 
make a greater impression upon your mind. 
Receive them, however, my daughter,from 
the mouth of a fiither, who considers him- 
self on the verge of life ; they are the most 
"precious marks of tenderness which he can 
give you. These instructions w^ould have 
been more perfect, if his capacity had been 
more extensive. They are, however, the 
result of his reflections, and of the research- 
es which he has made after truth ; they are 
also the effect of his internal convictioa,—- 



TO HIS DAUGHTER. 187 

Your father who now addresses you, hath 
had his doubts ; he hath sometimes been 
mistalien ; and hath wished, in those mo- 
ments, that the consequences of sin w^ere 
not so grievous. He hath not been exempt 
from falling ; but the victorious grace of 
God hath kindly come to his relief. He 
can now behold, w ithout fear, his approach- 
ing death. Beyond this period he sees ob- 
jects of joy, and subjects of hope ; all which 
invite him to press forward to that eterni- 
ty, where death will be vanished, and 
where sin will have no access. Your heart, 
which is so little corrupted with vicious 
sentiments, will find less difficulty in the 
way that leads to life. After having finish- 
ed your race, you will meet your father in 
those glorious and peaceful habitations, 
w here the thoughts of our corruption will 
no more be productive of inquietude and 
shame, nor the sufferings of the present time 
fill any longer our eyes with tears. 

FINIS. 



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